Resilience
by HylianRegalia
Summary: Gareki is injured in battle with the Varugas and Yogi volunteers to take care of him (much to Gareki's disdain). All the while Gareki struggles with his feelings of uselessness but is forced to push them aside when his simple journey to help Nai find Karoku becomes much more complicated than first anticipated. No pairings
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Karneval and in no way profit off of this

Akuma no Uta inspired me as far as injuries go (read their story) but the rest of the story was inspired purely by my own opinion that Karneval could have been so much longer and more complex! I really like injuring my favourite characters as well, so expect that.

No pairings, no lemon, I dislike romance (most of the time) so there won't be any in this

(I honestly just cant picture Gareki being with anyone)

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It was cold tonight. Gareki was glad he was wearing his magenta sweatshirt but still... the frigid temperature bit at his skin through the material. He reached up his gloved hands, pulling the collar of the sweater closer to his chin before reaching back down, fingering the gun strapped to his thigh. He glanced over at Yogi, crouching near a tree just to the left of him. The older man's facial expression was pulled taut into a mask of seriousness, one he did not wear very often but Gareki knew the situation they were in called for no error; Yogi couldn't afford to slip up. And neither could Gareki.

He closed his fingers around the hilt of the gun, clutching it in both hands as his trigger finger stood ready, waiting for the Verugas to find them. They had lost Nai and Tsukumo with the first sudden encounter and were currently trying to regain their bearings. The forest around them was still but eerily so and Gareki tried to pull his mind away from worrying about Nai. The lack of sound was making it difficult for he worried the Verugas went after the two of them instead of him and Yogi but he had to wipe any negative thoughts from his mind. Tsukumo was more than capable of protecting herself and Nai.

"Hey, Gareki," Yogi spoke softly, careful not to give away their position.

"Yeah?"

"I think we should move, try to find Nai and Tsukumo. If the Verugas went after them, they're going to need our help."

_You mean your help_, Gareki thought bitterly. It was no secret to him that Circus thought he was useless but he tried not to let it get to him. He was here for Nai, not Circus. _Circus_, he thought scornfully. The only reason they were here tonight was so they could use Nai to lure out more Veruga. They were just unlucky enough to encounter two. _Damn them for putting Nai in danger_. He grimaced, standing up slowly as Yogi did the same.

Gareki's gripped tightened around his gun as he heard a sharp snap, his breath catching in his throat as he listened. "Come out, Circus scum! Don't you want to play?" Gareki clenched his jaw as the gruff voice of the Veruga taunted them but he knew well enough to stay put. They didn't yet know where he and Yogi were. Or so he thought.

Suddenly, Yogi was grabbing Gareki around the waist and jumping away from the tree they hid behind. Gareki squirmed in Yogi's arms. "Hey, put me down!" he started but his eyes widened as the tree they once couched behind was practically shattered as the strong claws of the first Veruga tore through the trunk with ease. Gareki gasped, "Where's the second-" he was cut off as he felt a powerful force slam into him and Yogi. The strength of the impact caused Yogi to drop Gareki and they both went tumbling through the air, Gareki's body slamming against the ground like a ragdoll as he rolled across the forest floor, the trunk of a tree stopping his momentum. He cried out as he felt something within his chest crack and he clenched his teeth, fighting through the pain as he looked around for Yogi, only to see the second Veruga - the one that struck them - stalking toward him. The Veruga's flesh was a sickly grey and it's face was contorted into a sinister smile with at least two rows of razor sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight that managed to slice through the tree canopy. The beast was huge, it's long limbs strong and wrought with tight muscles. Gareki stuggled to force himself into a sitting position, his ribs screaming in protest from the movement but he had to push through it. If he didn't get up he'd be much worse off than a broken rib or two.

He grunted, his eyes glazing over as a white hot pain lanced it's way through his body and he stopped, taking deep breaths as he clutched his gun, thankful he had managed to keep a tight grip on the weapon. The Veruga was nearly upon him now and he lifted the gun up, his hand shaking as he struggled to steady himself, and took a shot. The bullet sunk into the hard flesh of the beast's shoulder, seemingly leaving the abomination unfazed. "Shit," he mumbled, he pushed himself upright, taking a few more shots before the Veruga was upon him. He screamed as the creature wrapped its large hand around Gareki's midsection, his ribs cracking audibly under the pressure. "Yogi!" He cried out desperately, knowing it was probably useless as he was sure that Yogi was busy with the first Veruga. His mind clouded over with agony, the Veruga was tightening it's grip and his newly broken ribs were surely broken in several places now but Gareki couldn't find the strength to scream, his lungs felt tight and it was getting difficult for him to draw in even the smallest breath. The Veruga grinned at seeing Gareki's pain and without warning, drew it's arm back and threw Gareki through the air.

The raven boy let out a loud yell as he felt his body soaring through the air weightlessly, his fly only coming to and end once he felt his leg crack against a tree and he fell to the ground in a broken heap, landing on his right side, he felt his forearm snap beneath his weight and his broken ribs shifted. He tried to take in a deep breath but his body shuddered from the effort and a violent cough wracked his body, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. His breathing was becoming difficult and in that moment he could no longer feel any pain. His body felt numb and his eyes were glazed over. The world in front of him was hazy and he could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness. He couldn't bring himself to care that the Veruga that was coming towards him again, he couldn't worry about where Yogi was because chances were Yogi wasn't going to save him this time. He almost couldn't even worry about Nai.. until he thought he heard Nai calling his name. "N-no.." he whispered weakly, "s-stay away, N-Nai..." And then there was nothing. Just darkness.

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Short chapter; chapter two is already done but I'll post that in a day or so.

Reviews welcome; no flames


	2. Chapter 2

Again, I do not own Karneval nor do I profit off of this.

It will return to Gareki's point of view momentarily but he's sort of out of commission so..

I wanted to do this from Yogi's point of view so there were no holes in time from how Gareki was saved etc.

But, enjoy.

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Yogi hit the ground but maneuvered his body to roll with the momentum, adjusting himself as he slid along the ground and put his feet out behind him, digging his heels into the soft earth and stopping his body from rolling. He stood from his crouched position and called upon his rapiers, narrowing his eyes, he lunged to the side as the first Veruga launched itself at him. He briefly worried where Gareki had gone, fearing for his friend's safety but the thought was wiped from his mind as the fight at hand took over occupying his thoughts.

He sidestepped the creature and thrust out his epees, grazing the beast's muscled legs but otherwise doing mininal damage. Yogi narrowed his eyes, watching as the Veruga turned back around, a scowl on it's twisted face. He found it odd the Verugas had come after him and Gareki instead of going after Nai but he could focus on that detail later. Right now he needed to finish this Veruga off and find Gareki. He just desperately hoped Gareki was holding out on his own; that is, if the fall didn't injure the young boy in the first place.

Yogi jumped up into the air and soared toward the Veruga, throwing his weight downward and reared his rapiers back, ready to strike. The creature rolled out of the way, using a counterstrike which Yogi blocked with his rapiers. He jumped away from the Veruga, crouching down at the ready to strike again but then his blood ran cold.

"Yogi!"

He recognized that voice. Recognized the fear, pain, and depseration within the cry; the reluctance at asking for help. Gareki.

Clenching his jaw, Yogi charged at the beast in front of him, a cry of fury emanating from his throat as he slashed an epee at the Veruga's arm, completely slicing off the apendage at the elbow. The once-was human roared in anger and pain, the beast grabbing at it's bloody stump of an arm; the blood gushing out in waves. Yogi sidestepped to avoid the gore and thrust both his epees through the Veruga's chest, one piercing the heart and thus ending the creatures twisted life.

He began to run, calling out Gareki's name, there was no way the boy could be too far but he wasn't getting any responses. _Find the Veruga, I'll find Gareki_, he reasoned. Afterall, why else woud such a stubborn, independant child call out for help?

"Yogi?"

It wasn't the voice he was waiting to hear, but he was relieved at hearing it anyway. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head to see Nai and Tsukumo, the red eyed boy seemed frightened and clung to Tsukumo tightly. Yogi ran up to them, not wasting any time.

"We need to find-"

"Gareki," Nai finished. "I... I heard him screaming.." his voice was shaking, timid. Yogi switched one rapier into his other hand, holding them both so he could crouch down to Nai's level. He placed his free hand on top of the boy's head, ruffling his hair.

"We'll find him, Nai. Right now I need you to focus. Can you hear Gareki? Or maybe even the Veruga?" Nai wiped a tear from his eye and nodded at Yogi's reasurring words.

Yogi looked over at Tsukumo, who appeared worried herself but was clearly trying her best to hide it and remain calm. He could tell she wanted to ask questions but they stayed quiet, allowing Nai the opportunity to listen.

"Gareki!" he suddenly shouted. The young boy turned and took off running without warning. Relief flooded through Yogi, they were going to find him.

"Nai, wait!" Tsukomo grabbed Yogi's arm and they ran after Nai, keeping close to the boy as to not lose him in the thick darkness of the trees. After what seemed like an eternity (but was really only a few minutes of running) Nai suddenly stopped. He was trembling, his hands shaking at his sides and Yogi approached the white haired boy, following his gaze. His breath caught in his throat, Gareki was laying on the forest floor near the base of a tree. It was apparent the boy was having a hard time breathing and there was blood covering his lips. But, at that moment, Yogi didn' have any more time to assess Gareki's injuries as he heard Tsukumo yelling for him.

He turned to where Tsukumo was shouting from and his eyes narrowed upon seeing the Veruga that undoubtedly had done the damage to the unconscious boy. "Nai, stay with Gareki! Make sure he keeps breathing!" His voice came out stronger than he felt which he was greatful for. He couldn't allow Nai to sense the actual fear that he was feeling for Gareki. He shook his head, now wasn't the time. Kill the Veruga, get Gareki to safety. He couldn't help while the Veruga was still alive so he joined Tsukumo in the fight.

As he got close and began fighting the Veruga, he noticed several bullet holes and he smiled to himself. Injured or not, Gareki had managed to put up a fight but Yogi mentally cursed. No matter how good he was with a gun, it was useless if the bullets wouldn't do any damage. He made a mental note to talk to Hirato about possibly better equipping Gareki once he got the injured boy to safety. He returned his focus on the Veruga, Tsukumo was currently distracting the beast so he made his move, swiftly killing the beast in one blow. His epees disappeared and he and Tsukumo ran back over to Nai who was crouching over Gareki, looking unsure of what to do and careful not to touch him.

Yogi was able to get a better look at the injured boy now. His right arm was covered in blood and upon further inspection he realized the mangled arm was broken in several places, bone shards piercing through the skin. The rise and fall of his chest was extremely shallow, it almost appeared as if he wasn't breathing at all but the breaths were also coming quickly. He turned his attention to the blood that was spreading across Gareki's pant leg. The material was torn and he had a long gash running up the length of his thigh and his lower leg was clearly broken, though no bones were sticking through the skin. He crouched down, placing his fingers underneath the boy's jaw to time his pulse. His skin was cold and clammy, causing Yogi to flinch but he kept his fingers pressed to the hallow of his jaw. It was slow. Too slow. The wheezing coming from between his blueish lips was concerning and he turned to Tsukumo.

"Call Hirato and tell him that Akari needs to be ready! Gareki's in shock, he needs help now!" Yogi, glanced over at Nai, who was crying and covering his mouth. He turned to the boy, grabbing his shoulders. "Gareki is going to be alright, Nai. Akari is going to take good care of him." Nai nodded and sniffled but even as Yogi spoke the words, he doubted them slightly. Gareki's breathing was already dangerously labored and shock was extremely serious. He was doing everything in his power to hold himself together for Nai's sake but he felt a tear stinging his eyes. He turned away from Nai to wipe them away.

Gareki suddenly began to cough violently and Yogi turned, immediately at the teenager's side. Blood sprayed from between the boy's lips and trickled down his chin. Yogi didn't know what to do! His heart clenched in his chest, he feared for the kid in front of him. "Tsukumo!"

"They're coming, Yogi. We have to stay calm." Her words were confident but her expression was sad and fearful. Yogi took a deep breath and nodded.

He sat behind Gareki, lifting the boy's head into his lap. He was trying to be as careful as possible but he was going to need to hold onto him while they were beamed onto the airship. Being in the dense forest, they were unable to land a smaller ship so this way going to have to be done very carefully.

"Yogi, they're ready," Tsukumo said softly. "Be careful with him."

Yogi looked down at Gareki sadly, saying a silent 'sorry', before lifting the broken teen into his arms. This caused a sharp intake of breathe in pain to come from the boy which resulted in another coughing fit but Yogi bit his lip, deeming it necessary. Tsukumo grabbed onto Nai and before they knew it they were back on Airship 2.

"Baa welcome back, baa." They were greeted with a chorus of 'welcome backs' from the sheep as well as Hirato, a team of nurses and an awaiting stretcher. Yogi rushed over, easing Gareki down onto the stretcher and watched as the nurses took him away swifty. "It's good to be back.." he mumbled to stop the sheeps. He turned to Hirato, "We're taking him to Akari, right?"

Hirato nodded, "Yes, we are, Yogi. We can't let the boy die on our watch. We'll be at the Research Tower momentarily but for now the nurses are working on stabilizing him. Just try to take it easy, you can see him once he awakens."

Yogi sighed and nodded, turning is attention over to Nai who was still clutching to Tsukumo. He pulled Nai into his arms for a tight embrace and smiled down at the boy. "Hear that, Nai? Akari is going to fix Gareki up as good as new. Why don't we go get some rest now?"

Nai nodded, hugging onto Yogi tightly as Tsukumo looked on, a sad smile on her face. She ruffled Nai's hair, her own silent way of reasurring him.

"Yogi..?" Nai whispered.

"What is it, Nai?"

"C-can I.. uhm... sleep with you tonight?"

Yogi chuckled and hugged Nai tighter. "Of course you can. Come on."

With his arm around the innocent boy, Yogi led him off to his sleeping quaters, Tsukumo following silently behind before breaking away to go to her own bedroom. Within minutes, Yogi was opening the bedroom door, allowing Nai to wander in and look around at the plethora of Nyanperowna merchandise that Yogi was oh so proud of. The sight of his precious character's paraphernilia usually brought such joy and a smile to his lips but tonight his heart was too heavy for even Nyanperowna to lift. He rumaged through his drawers, findng an old pair of pajamas for Nai to fit into. He turned his back as the small boy changed and he changed into his own yellow Nyanperowna pj's.

"Done," Nai whispered softly. Yogi turned around, the boy was dressed in a salmon coloured tshirt and loose fitting orange pajama bottoms, they hung off of the boy's slender frame slightly and Yogi couldn't help but giggle at how adorable Nai looked. He gestured for Nai to go ahead and lay down and he watched the small boy crawl in amoung the plushies and snuggle up to them. Yogi turned off the light and got into the opposite side of the bed, pressing his lips together. "Sleep tight, little Nai. If you need anything, wake me up, okay?" He heard Nai mumble a sleepy 'okay' and he smiled, closing his own eyes to attempt to forget about the events of that evening. Even if only for a few hours.

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Reviews welcome, no flames.

Until next time

Expected update: October 24th


	3. Chapter 3

Do not own and in no way profit

I have the plot all worked out so this chapter will be the last of the boring beginning chapters

Enjoy

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A soft, rythmic beeping was the first thing Gareki's senses became attuned to. His body felt heavy, like a cinder block was resting upon his chest and a thick curtain of fog hung over him, making the beeping sound distant and muffled. And he hurt. But it was a dull, far away pain spread over the entirety of his body. He struggled to push past the fog, to gain some sense of where he was and why he felt so terrible. Managing to open his eyes slightly, he only squeezed them tightly shut once more and hissed against the sudden onset of bright light. Slowly this time, he opened his eyes, allowing himself to adjust to the light he was not accustomed to. He blinked a few times, the light causing white spots to appear in front of his vision before he adjusted. He took a look at his surroundings; white. Everything was white and he wasn't even sure what he was looking at until he realized he was staring up at a ceiling. He sighed and began to push his body into an upright position until a jolt of pain raced up his right arm from the light pressure. The sudden movement also caused a fire to ignite in his chest and he let out a loud scream. The beeping of the heart monitor he was attached to began to speed up and he found himself having trouble breathing. Several coughs wracked his body and the jolts caused his body to convulse against the agony.

Doors were burst open and two nurses entered with Akari into Gareki's fading vision. Akari's face was calm but Gareki could see the alarm within his eyes. "Gareki, I need you to calm down." He hadn't noticed that he had stopped breathing and the panic began to rise in his chest. Akari sighed, seeing that the young boy wasn't calming down and motioned for the nurse to inject him with a sedative as Akari lower an oxygen mask over the teen's face. Soon, Gareki's heartbeat returned to normal and the sedative did it's job. Akari proceeded to check the boy's vitals and examine his wounds. It had been five days since Airship 2 had brought the injured child to Akari and this was the first time Gareki had woken up as well. When they brought him, Akari had been quite shocked by the extent of his injuries: a broken leg and ankle, a deep, nasty cut on his thigh, his left arm had several comminuted compound fractures, a severe concussion, and several broken ribs which had resulted in a punctured lung, the worst of his injuries. Akari had performed surgery on Gareki's lung first and once he had stablilized the boy went to work on his mangled arm. The hours in the operating room had been long and grueling but Akari had managed to save the teen's life - which was quite remarkable considering the condition he had been in when first brought to Akari. The doctor ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply, he would have to take a look at Gareki's lungs and pinpoint the problem that was causing him breathing difficulties. He had been off of the breathing machine for a day and half with no problems so perhaps it was just the shock of the pain that had caused him to panic. But, still, Akari wanted to be sure nothing was wrong. He rubbed his face and started to prepare to move Gareki for examination; this was going to be a long recovery for the poor boy.

-With Yogi-

Nai hadn't left Yogi's side since they came back from the forest with Gareki six days ago. The young boy had no clue that Gareki had woken the day before; Yogi didn't want to tell him and get his hopes up for who knew how long it would take him to wake up a second time. Akari had informed Yogi that Gareki had been out since the sedative was given to him but the good news was he was still perfectly stable and in sure recovery. As happy as Yogi was to hear that, it still didn't stop the guilt he was feeling. He knew Gareki was perfectly capable of taking care of himself in every day situations - even in dangerous ones (he was a theif, afterall) - but that didn't mean he was a match for Verugas. He wasn't part of Circus, didn't have the proper training and surely didn't have a proper weapon to be affective. Sure, the teen was a great shot, in fact, he was basically a pro with a gun but it did no good if the bullets weren't effecive. And, he had been Yogi's responsibility that night! Of course, Tsukumo argued that he had also been her responsibility but that didn't do much to ease Yogi's guilt.

He sighed and looked over at his bed where Nai was still sleeping. The child had been staying with Yogi ever since that night, too distressed to sleep alone since he normally had Gareki sharing a room with him. He and Tsukumo had been allowed to take the last few days to themselves but today they had to resume work on a lead that had been tipped in. Honestly, Yogi was relieved as he had been getting anxious doing nothing and waiting around for Gareki to awaken. None of them had been permitted to visit but Akari insisted that the moment Gareki was able to stay awake for prolonged periods of time and communicate they would be contacted. But, that left Yogi wondering what they were going to do with Nai. Yogi wasn't comfortable taking Nai on any missions without Gareki to watch over the boy (though he wouldn't say so, it was clear to everyone how protective Gareki was over the little niji). He was worried that he and Tsukumo wouldn't be enough to keep him safe and he definitely wasn't comfortable with leaving Nai on the airship with the doctor and Hirato. Not to mention that Nai wasn't really comfortable with anyone aside for Gareki, Tsukumo, Yogi and that guy Karoku. So that left him with one option: watchi over Nai himself.

Yogi shook his head and put on a smile; these past days had been stressful but he couldn't let that get in the way. He had to keep Nai entertained, distracted and happy. He watched as the boy held tightly to one of the larger Nyanperowna plushies and smiled. Nai was just so adorable when he slept but it was time to wake up. Yogi was happy that Nai had at least slept throught the night with no nightmares (that he had known of) and his expression was peaceful for the moment. He reached over and placed a hand on Nai's shoulder, shaking the niji awake.

Nai groaned softly and cracked an eye open, smiling as he looked up at Yogi. "Good morning, Nai!" Yogi said cheerfully. The young boy yawned and sat up slowly, rubbing his sleepy eyes before outstretching his arms. His hair was matted and disheveled and he looked up at Yogi curiously. "Yogi, how's Gareki?"

Yogi ruffled Nai's hair. "He's getting better but we have to give him more time, okay? How about we go find Tsukumo and get some breakfast?"

Nai nodded and shuffled out of bed, walking over to the bathroom to put on his outfit for the day that Yogi had laid out for him. After a few minutes, Nai emerged, wearing a white pair of overalls with a baby blue shirt underneath. He placed his folded up pajamas onto the bed which Yogi had made while Nai had been in the bathroom. Yogi grabbed Nai's hand and skipped out of his bedroom, Nai in tow.

Turns out, Tsukumo was already in the dining hall waiting for Yogi and Nai. She had three plates laid out with eggs, toast and pancakes. Yogi and Nai both jumped into the chairs and Tsukumo rolled her eyes as the two happily and quickly ate their meals. She ate slowly and regarded Yogi's body language. Usually the man was straight up childish but his behavior seemed... forced. As if he was trying too hard to be light hearted and she realized Gareki's accident must have been laying heavily upon his conscious. Clearly he was trying his hardest to make sure Nai wasn't noticing any changes but Yogi couldn't fool Tsukumo. She had known the big man-baby for far too long for that. She would talk to him later; no one was happy that Gareki had been injured but Yogi needed to realize that it wasn't his fault.

After finishing his meal, Yogi pulled Tsukumo aside as Nai continued eating. "Can you watch after him while I go talk to Hirato?"

She nodded and before Yogi could walk away, she grabbed his arm. "Yogi, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Nai may not notice, but everyone else does."

He smiled at her, a smile much too big and laughed nervously. "W-what do you mean, Tsukumo?"

"You're not a very good actor-"

"I am too!" Yogi cut in, "I'm Nyanperowna and-"

"Nyanperowna is just a larger projection of your pre-existing personality. Yogi, I know you feel guilty about what happened to Gareki but he knew what he was getting in to. He was just as much my responsibility as he was yours. I'm sure he doesn't hold anything against you and I doubt that he would want you to beat yourself up over it. He's recovering, that's all that matters. Akari said his condition improves more every day."

Yogi clenched his fist at his side, sighing. "I know.. just..." he paused. "I just need to talk to Hirato, okay?"

Tsukumo nodded, not saying another word and turned back into the dining hall to keep Nai company.

Yogi dashed down the hall to Hirato's office, not even bothering to knock on the door but instead just barged in. The annoyance on Hirato's face was apparent but Yogi ignored it and walked up to his desk. "Yes, Yogi? What is it?"

"Gareki needs a better weapon, Hirato!"

Hirato rolled his eyes, "You are aware that as far as we are concerned the boy is a civilian and we can't just arm him with weapons designed by Circus."

Yogi nodded, "I know but he got hurt because his own weapon is useless against the Veruga! Consider it civilian protection, he's no ordinary civilian and you know that, Hirato! I've seen him shoot, he's deadly accurate but it doesn't matter if his bullets wont harm those... abominations!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Hirato glanced up a Yogi, considering the desperation on the man's face. "Arming that boy is not my number one prioity but I do admit that given the correct equipment he would be quite useful... I'll see what I can do, now go grab Tsukumo so I can brief the two of you on your mission for the day."

It wasn't exactly what Yogi had been hoping for, but considering this was Hirato he was talking to, it was definiately better than nothing and Yogi would accept it for the time being. He stayed hopeful though, maybe Hirato would agree that Yogi was correct for once. Besides, if Hirato did come through, Gareki would be so happy to hear what Yogi had done for him! His lips turned into a wide smile and he skipped his way down the halls of the airship to fetch Tsukumo and Nai.

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Another shorter chapter but from here on out things will get more interesting

I will also have an OC named Fade; most of this story will be Gareki's point of view but Fade helps fill in some gaps and progress the story

Expected update: 10/29/14


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own nor do I profit off of this

I hope having a minor OC doesn't bother you too much but if it does... I don't really care  
I have a hard time sticking to canon as I'm mostly an original story writer but I do hope you like Fade so...

Enjoy

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-One week later -

He had never been so absolutely bored in his entire life. Nor had he felt so utterly useless. His body ached and moving caused him pain anyway but that didn't mean his muscles didn't yern for some movement; some action. Akari said he wouldn't be bed ridden for too much longer but he didn't take much comfort in that; he would be wheelchair-bound until his leg healed in around three months and that thought drove him crazy. But, the good news was Akari gave him an estimate on the rest of his injuries as well; all but his leg should be healed within 6-8 weeks. And thanks to the medical advancements his severely broken arm would regain normal function with some rehabilitation.

He was frustrated. How could he allow himself to get so injured? Never in his life had he been so blindsided and helpless by an attack and it caused rage to bubble inside of him for his clear inability to protect even himself, not to mention he felt responsible for Nai. That kid had been nothing but trouble and now he was sitting in some blank hospital room with nothing better to do than twiddle his thumbs and mentally berate himself for his own incompetence. Robbing with his crew; he had been essential to the team. Praised for his capabilities and heavily relied on, he never once felt useless. But, with Circus... he clenched his right fist, taking a deep breath to suppress the anger.

He closed his eyes as he heard the door to his room being opened. "Go away, Akari."

He heard an exasperated and somewhat offended scoff and rubbed his temples. _Oh boy_..

"I am not Akari! I just wanted to check up on you but if that's how you feel, Gareki, I-"

"Yogi, shut up." Gareki didn't even bother to look at the man. This was his second time visiting within the two weeks he'd been under Akari's care at the research tower but it was still hard to face the idiot. He hated being seen as weak; hated members of Circus seeing him as such even more.

"Gareki! I'm hurt!" The man choked up, "Why do you hate me so much?" He ran over to Gareki, kneeling at his bedside with his head resting on the bed next to the teenagers thigh. He rolled his eyes.

"Why are you here?"

Yogi sat up and straightened, looking over toward the door. "Actually, we were just given permission to allow Nai to visit!" Gareki sat up straighter in his bed, he tried not to show it but he really had missed the young boy. Yogi skipped over to the door and opened it, Nai stood in the doorway, a sad and unsure expression on his face. The white haired boy looked past Yogi and gasped when he saw Gareki. His eyes welled with tears and he ran over to the boy, throwing his arms around him tightly. Gareki winced against the pain it caused in his chest but he ignored the pain and instead wrapped his uninjured arm around Nai.

"Come on, Nai. Stop crying, I'm alright. You can't just cry over everything that upsets you." This only made the niji cry harder and hug Gareki tighter and he squirmed within the boy's tight grip.

Yogi stood by the door, chuckling and watching as Gareki tried to pry Nai off of him and Nai responding by tightening his grip and crying louder. Yogi looked over as Akari appeared within the doorway and he followed the older man out into the hallway. They shut the door behind them, the two boys' bickering dissipating. Yogi leaned up against the door and scratched the back of his head. "So, how's he actually doing?"

"Physically, he's recovering quickly. It's only been two weeks but he's much stronger and I give him a couple more weeks until his ribs are healed. It's his emotional state that I'm worried about."

Yogi was confused by this. "He's never been as fun-loving as me. He's always been gloomy," he whined, clearly taking it personally.

Akari shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. When I discharge him once I feel his ribs are adequately healed; I want you to look after him. Make him feel useful. From his... background.. he's not used to feeling as inadequate as you make him feel."

Yogi was taken aback by Akari's accusation. "But, I never-"

"It does not matter if you purposefully make him feel that way. From Hirato's report, Gareki was once in a position where he was greatly valuable. Here he is regarded as a civilian and now he is physically restricted. Do not allow my patient to mentally deteriorate when I worked so hard to be sure that once he heals he will physically be as good as new. Have I made myself clear?" His eyes narrowed and his gaze bore through the blonde man. Yogi straightened and nodded several times, eyes wide.

"Yes, Akari!" He watched as Akari stalked away and he took a deep breath, returning into Gareki's room. He closed the door softly and quietly as he looked over to see Nai curled up next to Gareki, who was passed out sleeping. In fact, they both were and he couldn't bring himself to wake either of the boy's up so he stepped back out of the room and traipsed down the hallway to find something to entertain himself.

-Elsewhere - Gareki's group of thieves-

"He's been gone for weeks, Fade, he's not coming back."

Reverting his gaze to the speaker, the seventeen year old boy named Fade narrowed his amber eyes. "He wouldn't just disappear, I'm going to look for him and that's final." He stood up, adjusting the strap of his messanger bag that held his essentials then pulled on his black leather gloves. He then pulled on his dark olive coloured cloak which concealed the pistol strapped to his thigh and ended at his knees. He bent over, tucking his black jeans into his boots then tying the laces tightly. He felt for the knives hidden in the side of each boot, making sure they were well hidden but easily accessible. Pulling up his cloak's hood over his messy brown hair, he then grabbed his favourite throwing knife off of the table he stood next to. He tossed it in the air, watching it flip around several times before he caught it by the handle and pointed it to the girl who had spoken to him just minutes before. "And don't you dare try to stop me." He slid the knife into it's sheath on his hip and turned away from the girl who stood speechless, knowing Fade was absolutely serious. She sighed heavily and turned away; she couldn't help but feel like the makeshift group they had pulled together was now falling apart.

Fade made his way out of the abandoned warehouse they had been staying in and over to a cluster of trees and brush where he hid his motorbike. It was a sleek sportbike with a silver and olive coloured finish with a twin liquid-cooled DOHC four valve engine to reduce overheating and horsepower loss. It was a beautiful and powerful bike and Fade was eager to be able to use it while he sought out to find Gareki.

The boy had become an important member to their group; he was valued and, though he hated to admit it, Fade had taken a liking to the kid so he felt partially responsible. Especially since he had disappeared on one of their break ins. He pulled his keys and riding goggles out of his bag, buttoned his cloak and hopped on the bike. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes and slid his goggles on - he had given Gareki his own pair of goggles for when he took the boy riding. It just served as a reminder that he needed to do this. If he didn't and Gareki was in trouble he'd never forgive himself for allowing harm to come to the kid. He knew how skilled he was but that didn't mean he was invincible. Using his legs to push the bike forward and out of the brush, he started it up and took a deep breath. He took a look up in the warehouse window where he saw the faces of his companions watching him, pulled his hood back up and revved the engine, soon disappearing down the road and out of sight from his group.

-Two weeks later - 4 weeks in total-

"Come on, Gareki, it's time to go back to the airship!" Yogi was trying his hardest to get the teenager out of bed but Gareki was glaring up at the man angrily.

"If I have to use that stupid wheelchair, I'd rather stay put," he grumbled.

Yogi huffed. "But, Garekiiii.."

It was Akari who cut in this time. "Your arm should be healed in another four weeks and, if it's strong enough, I can allow you to use crutches. But, for now, you have no way of supporting yourself and I can't allow you to sulk in bed any longer. Do I make myself clear?"

Gareki sat himself up and laid his broken arm across his lap. His ribs still ached but it was nothing compared to what it had been when he first gained coherency. In fact, all that was left were a few yellowing bruises along his sides and hardly a trace that it sometimes hurt to take a deep breath. His headaches had since gone away as well and the cut along his upper thigh was becoming a gnarly scare, the stitches having been removed. So, that only left his lower leg - his ankle was nearly healed as it had jut been a sprain but the rest of his leg would need several more weeks - and his pesky arm. The leg was just annoying and he was eager to walk again; there were no complications with the break - just a long healing time. It was his arm he was nervous about. Akari had had to open up the arm further and use metal rods and screws to fuse the bones back together - Gareki didn't know all of the details but Akari had done it in such a way that after some rehabilitation he should regain normal function with only a scar to remind him that anything had been wrong in the first place. Honestly, Gareki couldn't thank modern medicine and Akari's skills enough for that. He needed his arm, as did anyone else, but he couldn't become even more useless than he already was. He pressed his lips together and sighed. _I wonder what _he _would think... That I'm pathetic_, he though venomously.

Gareki glared at the two men. Akari was pinching the bridge of his nose, looking impatient and annoyed while Yogi just look eager; staring at Gareki with pleading eyes to come with him. He looked like a sad little puppy. "I want my gun back," he stated. If he was going to be stuck in a wheelchair, he wanted his weapon. Granted, he was in no position to strike a deal but he needed to feel some sense of control.

Akari began to protest, stating how he had no authority over such a matter but Yogi interrupted him. "Deal." The doctor turned on the man, ready to yell at him but Yogi raised his hands in submission. "I'll take any heat from Hirato, I think it's fair that Gareki has his weapon back, that's all."

The doctor rubbed his temples and looked at Yogi with venom in his eyes, "Just be careful with him and watch your allergies! If I find out you're not changing your patch, I swear I'll-"

Yogi cowered away from the doctor and nodded his head furiously, interrupting the no doubt violent sentence. "I am, I am, I promise!"

Without another word, Akari turned and walked out of the room, leaving Yogi the task of getting Gareki into the wheelchair.

"He's scary..." Yogi mumbled softly before his rigid demeanor became cheerful once more, "Alright," Yogi turned and smiled down at Gareki. "Now that the deal's been cut, time for you to change into some real clothes!" Yogi handed the boy a backpack filled with his own clothes and skipped out of the room to patiently wait for Gareki to change.

The teen sighed, unzipping the bag and pulling out one of his salmon coloured tank tops. He slid it on without difficulty and rummaged through the bag until he found a tan pair of loose trousers that he thought would fit over the cast. After several minutes of struggling, he heard a knock on the door and growled in frustration, "I'm not ready yet!"

Yogi paid no mind and waltzed into the room anyway, his eyes filled with concern until he realized the boy was only struggling with getting the pant leg over the cast. Yogi covered his mouth with his hand so Gareki couldn't see him laughing but it did no good. He stopped as he felt a pillow hit him directly in the face and he whimpered. "So cruel," he choked.

"I wouldn't have to be if you hadn't barged in!"

The man smiled kindly at Gareki and walked over to him, kneeling down in front of him. "What are you-"

Yogi grabbed the cuff of the pant leg and started to twist and wiggle the material until it slid over the cast. It took several minutes but Yogi managed to maneuver it until the cuff was resting above his cast, the leg of the material covering Gareki's knee and thigh and leaving the cast exposed. His other leg was completely covered by the pant leg and Gareki couldn't help but think he looked like an idiot but he would probably look even worse if he had left the pants covering the bulky cast and making his leg appear to be twice as big as the other. He mumbled a thank you and Yogi beamed brightly, proud to make the boy happy for once. Gareki then pulled on a white hoodie and pushed the sleeves up a quarter way so they exposed his forearms (well, one forearm, the other exposed his other cast). He looked up at Yogi and nodded. "Ready.."

"Alrighty then!" Yogi made a move to pick Gareki up but the boy shied away, narrowing his eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?! I'm not letting you carry me!"

"But, Gareki-"

"Just help me over there!"

Not wanting to wound the boy's pride any further, Yogi helped Gareki stand up near the edge of the bed. The boy was a bit unstable and weak but the older man slung Gareki's arm over his shoulder. He bent his broken leg at the knee just enough so that it wouldn't touch the ground and, with the help of Yogi, he managed to hobble over to the wheelchair sitting near the end of the bed. Yogi placed one hand on back of the wheelchair so that it didn't roll backwards as Gareki sat heavily in what he considered his new form of prison. He looked up at Yogi, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, before he looked away. He looked absolutely humiliated and Yogi could understand why. He sympathized with the boy and it only made him that much more determined to convince Hirato that the boy needed a better method of protecting himself. As delighted as he was to spend more time with Gareki, he wasn't happy under the circumstances that made it possible. He tried to think positively for the boy though. He had managed to make it through one-third of his recovery, what was a little time longer? Besides, young boys got injured all the time, it was bound to happen sooner or later, especially with Gareki's risky line of work. Somehow, Yogi reasoned that wouldn't bring much comfort to him though so he kept his mouth shut.

Gareki groaned a he lifted his leg with the heavy cast up and onto the leg support of the wheelchair. He noticed Yogi move to help but the boy just grinned as he had managed to find the strength to do it. Yogi appeared vaguely impressed by Gareki's resolve but that didn't mean much to him. The first time Yogi had come to visit him, the man had been groveling and crying, begging for Gareki's forgiveness since he blamed himself for his injuries. He had hated it; was he so pathetic that Yogi considered himself his bodyguard? These people... clearly they didn't see Gareki capable enough to take care of himself and that pissed him off. Yogi had clearly learned though as he hadn't tried to say sorry since then but it was the little things now. Yogi's impressed expression when Gareki managed to do even the simplest of things, for instance. He knew the older man meant well but... he just couldn't help it! If there was one thing _he _never did, it was make Gareki feel inadequate. Even if he was injured or something had gone wrong. Though he couldn't help but think that even he _was _here, he'd be mercilessly berating Gareki just for the fun of it, which pissed him off a lot but he knew it was only his sense of humor so it _never _made Gareki feel vulnerable and useless. He couldn't help but wonder what Fade was doing - was he worried about Gareki at all? Were any of them worried about him at all? He'd like to think yes but he also found himself wondering why he even cared. Sure, they had all worked together and helped each other survive but Fade was really the only one who interacted with Gareki in any type of endearing way. Well... as endearing as Fade could manage, which wasn't saying much. The older teen was rigid except for his playful cruelty.

Gareki tried to wipe thoughts of them out of his mind. Chances were they weren't even looking and even if they were... how would they find him? He was held by Circus until this whole thing with Nai was resolved. Not to mention Fade was a wanted criminal and even if Circus didn't deal with low level criminals, certainly they would hand someone like Fade over to the authorities. What use would they have for him? On the other hand, Fade was extremely useful... what was he thinking? The teenager probably wasn't even looking for him. Although, he knew Fade was relentless, he never gave up so if he was out searching for Gareki... He tried not to think about it. The possibility of Fade getting into trouble was too high and it was one thing he certainly did not want to happen to his former partner in crime.

He crossed his arms as Yogi grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, knowing it would just turn into another argument if he was to protest the man pushing him. He groaned in exasperation and defeat as Yogi wheeled him out of the room and outside to be moved onto airship two. He was not looking forward to facing Hirato or anyone of the sort. He slumped. This was going to be a long few weeks.

-Elsewhere with Fade - 1 week later - 5 total-

Fade cursed under his breath, shaking his hand to ward the pain away. Out of frustration, he had punched the side of a building in the alleyway he was tucked into for the moment. He had been searching for Gareki for three weeks and nothing. He slumped against the wall next to his bike and took off his gloves to examine his throbbing hand. Two of his knuckles were bleeding softly and a purple bruise was forming but otherwise it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He reached into his bag, pulled out a roll of bandages, medical tape, and his butterly knife; flipped the knife open and cut off a long strip which he used to wrap up his knuckles. He sliced two small pieces of tape and secured the bandages. Normally, he wouldn't dress such a small and insignificant wound but he really didn't feel like bloodying up his gloves.

He buried his face in his hands and wracked his brain for his next move. He needed to find out if Gareki had been taken in by the authorities but unfortunately he wasn't much of the hacker type, however... He stood up and smirked, pulling his gloves and goggles back on. He grabbed the handle bars of his bike, pushed it out of the alley, hoped on and started it, then pulled out onto the streets to head to his new destination - and only potential lead.

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Some reviews would be nice. I don't even know if people like this story or not but I don't appreciate flames either so

Until next time

Expected update: 11/6/14


	5. Chapter 5

Alright, so from here on out there won't be much character jumping anymore  
It also shouldn't be told from Fade's point of view anymore but I can't make any promises since he is sticking around  
The point of view I use isn't stuck to one person per se anyway  
I will be skipping forward a few weeks at a time though just so I can move Gareki's recovery along (I needed him injured for some character development)  
Anyway, I don't own or profit (though I have read the manga now and whyyyy did they cut the anime short?)

Enjoy

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-Still with Fade - 5.5 weeks total-

Of course it was raining when he arrived. Personally, he didn't mind the rain but he didn't particularly like the moisture to be coating his bike. However, in light of his mission, he decided that was unimportant for the moment when he parked the bike next to a cluster of trees outside of the small house in front of him. The house was located slightly inside the edge of a forest a few miles out of the city; best placed for privacy since the person he was here to see would easily be a wanted criminal if discovered. He removed his riding goggles from his face and stuffed them inside his bag, pulling out his butterfly knife... just in case. He kept the knife sheathed, clutching it with his gloved fingers hiding within the long sleeves of his jacket as he crept along the side of the house. He stepped silently onto the wooden steps before he paused, a smile creeping onto his face as he slowly lifted his hands in the air and dropped his knife.

"You can put the gun away, Alastair, it's just me."

He heard a small click then slowly turned around, dropping his hands as he saw exactly who he was expecting to see. Leaning casually up against a tree some 30 yards away was a man of 20 years of age, shoulder length dirty blonde hair and stubble covering around his mouth and along his jaw. His dark eyes were narrowed but he shoved his pistol back into the holster on his hip then ran a hand through his hair to push it out of his face. Fade grinned and leaned down, picking up his knife then put it back into his bag before holding out his hand. Alastair took the younger boy's hand a shook it firmly before brushing past him up the front porch steps.

"What brings you here, Fade? It's been a while. We were starting to wonder if you'd finally gotten your cocky ass handed to you."

Fade rolled his eyes, he could hear the smile in Alastair's voice. "Not quite. I'm here for a favour."

Alastair opened up the front door, holding it open for Fade to walk in first then closed it behind the both of them. The house was dark; all the windows were blacked out and it wasn't exactly your typically furnished home. There were computer monitors everywhere, all kinds of makes and models, different video cameras and chords ran all around the room. There was a large TV mounted up against a wall in front of a couch but that was about the only "normal" thing. Most of the computer monitors in the room were blank and off but in the opposite, far corner of the room was a whole set up of monitors lit up and working. There was no one sitting in the chair in front of them so Alastair stepped across the room, moving into the room that was across from the cluster of monitors. From prior knowledge, Fade knew that to be the kitchen and he strolled casually to the room as well. There was nothing out of the ordinary with the kitchen, just a simple setup with a fridge, microwave, etc. He saw Alastair standing next to a girl with strawberry blonde ringlets cascading down her back. She turned around and yawned, a cup of coffee in her hand. She was a pretty girl, about eighteen years of age with deep green eyes and a smooth complexion. Setting down her coffee cup, she smirked as she laid her eyes upon Fade.

"Well, well. Look who's still alive."

Exasperated, Fade crossed his arms and leaned up against the wall. "What's with everyone thinking I'm dead? You people have no faith in me."

The girl, Akane, laughed out loud and approached him, squeezing his shoulder. "Regardless, it's good to see you. Now what do you want, Fade?"

"Right.." he followed her out into the living room where she took a seat at her multitude of computers, put on a pair of glasses and spun in the chair to face him. "It's Gareki."

Akane looked thoughtful but it was Alastair who spoke up. "Gareki.. the gunman you work with?"

"That's right. He went missing after a break in and I just need to know if the cops got him. I'm trying to track him down so I figured you could rule out one possibility for me." He reached into his bag, pulling out a bundle of cash and tossed it at Akane, who caught it and quickly flicked through the stack, looking Fade up and down before a smile tugged at her lips.

"Hacking into the criminal database? Leave it to you to give me quite the project but.." she paused, tossing the money to Alastair. "I'm in. But, it's going to take some time so please, Alastair, entertain our guest and leave me the hell alone while I work."

Fade looked over at Alastair, pulled his knife from the sheath on his hip and tossed it in the air. "What do you say we get in some practice?" The blonde male nodded, catching Fade's knife before he could, "Bring it on, kid."

-With Fade - the next day-

He was getting ready to head out for the second time. Akane had confirmed that Gareki was not yet in the criminal database - no detainment had been recorded - which was a huge relief to Fade. But, it also left him with nothing else to go on. However.. he did have one more idea.

He sat on the bed in the guest bedroom and laced up his boots, putting all his respective knives where he liked to hide them and stood up. He slung his bag over his shoulder, shrugged his jacket on then ran his fingers through his messy hair. Approaching the mirror on the wall, he moved his hair around until it was still resting on his forehead but out of his eyes. Satisfied, he exited the room and walked into the kitchen to find Akane brewing a cup of coffee. She turned to face him, pressing her lips together.

"I know that look... you have another idea."

He nodded and pulled out his cell phone, tossing it at her which she caught with ease. "Your cell phone?"

"I tried calling Gareki but it would never even ring. He's quite adept with technology, much like yourself, so he modified his own phone to be untracable. However, he is only fifteen years old and, I figured, if anyone could bypass the block Gareki put in place.."

"It would be me." Akane chuckled then turned back to the coffee pot, pouring out the dark liquid into a cup. She took a small sip then walked over to her set up, Fade in tow. "You would be correct, I can certainly track his phone."

He began to reach into his bag to pull out more money but Akane placed her hand on his arm. She looked into his eyes, squeezing his arm. "Consider it a favour. I can tell this is important to you." He nodded, sighing heavily and took his phone from her hand, unlocking it and scrolling through his contacts until he pulled up Gareki's information. He handed the phone back to her and she smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Let's get to work."

-With Gareki - a few days later - 6 weeks total-

"Oh Garekiiiii!"

_Oh no_. Gareki began to push himself faster down one of the hallways leading to the airship's library where he had taken to studying. There wasn't much else he could do since he had two weeks until his arm cast would be taken off and replaced with a sturdy brace so he could ditch the wheelchair and use crutches instead. He had been looking forward to getting back to reading a book about the ship's sheep but seeing as Yogi was now calling out his name... it wasn't going to happen.

"Gareki, wait!" he heard Yogi whine as he ran up in front of Gareki.

"I'm in a freaking wheelchair, you act like I can outrun you, idiot!"

Yogi sunk to his knees, looking dejected. Gareki rolled his eyes and glared at the older man. "What did you want, I'm kind of busy."

Yogi stood up and brushed himself off, a frown still on his face. "Why must you hate me?" Gareki ignored the question and waited for Yogi to continue, looking impatient. "Hirato is sending us off the ship for a mandatory vacation. Isn't that exciting?" Yogi's eyes sparkled with excitement but Gareki simply scoffed, maneuvering the wheelchair until he was turned away from Yogi. "I'm not interested."

He felt Yogi grab the handle bars and he yelled a "let go" before Yogi began to push him back toward his room. "Ah ah, Hirato said mandatory and that means you, Gareki!"

He had just started to feel a little less... useless. At least being in the library he felt as if he was studying and learning more than he already knew. Building upon the knowledge he already had and trying to make himself useful that way. But taking some "vacation"... all that was was R&amp;R and how could he feel useful just lounging around? He sighed. Maybe he could convince Yogi to let him bring a couple books. But, who could say for sure? After all, he hadn't even gotten his gun back yet...

He watched as Yogi rummaged through his clothes and stuffed them into a bag. He crossed his arms and looked away as Yogi approached him and set the bag on his lap, a concerned look on his face. "Is there anything else you'd like to bring, Gareki..?"

Gareki averted his gaze to the floor before glaring up at Yogi, who stood patiently waiting for his answer. "Yeah, I'd like to bring a couple books. Oh, and, I remember _someone_ saying I'd get my gun back!"

Yogi's faced paled and he pressed his lip together. "Uh yeah... about that... H-Hirato sort of vetoed it but... I can definitely allow you to bring some books! Let's go now, Gareki!" The young teen groaned inwardly as Yogi began to take him back toward the library. _Just kill me.._

-Later that evening-

"A freaking hot spring, seriously?"

Yogi seemed taken aback and glanced between Gareki and Nai. The young niji seemed confused as to where they were and the teen just seemed downright insulted to be taken to such a place. Yogi's heart sank, this was, after all, his idea. Hirato had only agreed because he felt Gareki needed t get out of the ship and get some fresh air but had Yogi's plan failed?

"W-what? You don't like it?!"

"Tsk." Gareki turned away and crossed his arms, clearly unhappy. "I can't even get my casts wet, how is this a good idea?" the boy yelled.

Tsukumo cleared her throat and knelt down to look Gareki in the eyes. "Akari approved our destination for you. All we have to do is cover your casts with these plastic coverings and you will be fine." She held up a clear bag that had a drawstring around the top opening before stuffing it back into her bag where the teen could see a collection of the same types of bags.

"Okay, fine! Whatever, okay? Let's just go inside..."

Yogi sighed a breath of relief and looked over at Nai who still seemed confused. He smiled and ruffled Nai's hair. "A hot spring is like a big bathtub of hot water. It's very relaxing and therapeutic. It feels nice." Nai nodded and looked over in Gareki's direction. He was maneuvering himself inside with Tsukumo behind him, ready to help but standing back as to not hurt the boy's pride further. "Yogi, why is Gareki so sad?"

He took a deep breath. What a heavy topic... "Gareki was hurt and can't function like he's used to. He wants to be able to walk around and go on missions with us but he's very limited right now. So I need you to help make him happy again, can you do that, little Nai?" The boy smiled brightly and nodded his head. Yogi chuckled and grabbed his hand, pulling him inside the building after their friends.

-With Fade - approximately same time-

Akane had indeed managed to track Gareki's phone. Fade was now staring down at the screen, at the program she had installed to show grids where there was a red dot showing the younger teen's position. Before, it had been moving constantly at a steady pace, which confused Fade as it also seemed to be moving rather quickly, too quickly even for a vehicle but he decided not to let that affect his mission. Surely there was an explanation and it would become clear once he found Gareki, who's position hadn't moved in some time. His own position was also shown on the grid as a blue dot and he was closing in quickly, his bike carrying him at dangerous speeds. He couldn't slow down though, not when he was so close. He just hoped the stillness of Gareki's position wasn't anything alarming. According to the estimated time on Akane's tracker, he would be at Gareki's destination in under two hours. He leaned over the handle bars of his bike, revving the engine as he picked up speed. _Just don't go anywhere, kid, I'll be there soon._

-Back with Gareki-

After a lot of fighting with both Nai and Yogi, Gareki had managed to force the two out of the room so he could put on his swim trunks that, thankfully, Hirato must have gotten for him. He knew if Yogi had been in charge of such a task he would have ended up with some damn Nyanperona shorts.

He was able to undress easily enough but he had some trouble getting the swimming shorts on with the wheelchair offering little stability. He managed to pick himself out of the chair and onto the bed where he was able to wiggle into the trunks before easing himself back into the wheelchair then pull on one of his zip ups to cover his torso. _Can't wait for this thing to come off_, he thought bitterly in regards to the leg cast. Two more weeks and he could at least be rid of the wheelchair for good, crutches weren't so bad, at least he could then feel less helplessly mobile. This whole thing was stupid though. Why were they going through this much trouble for him? It was idiotic. Must be guilt; after all who could care about him? The third wheel.

"Tsk. Whatever.." he mumbled softly as he pushed himself over to the door. He opened it to find Yogi and Nai starring at him eagerly to which he shoved them both out of the way. "Come on guys, move! I need a bit more space now." The pair jumped out of the way and Yogi started to lead the way down the corridor and to the men's section of the springs. Nai walked alongside of Gareki, looking unsure of himself. "Uh.. you okay there, Nai?"

Nai shook his head, whispering softly, "Gareki is cold lately."

Gareki was taken aback by this. Was he seriously so different since his accident that Nai had noticed? Sure, he seemed more distant because he wasn't able to go everywhere with them but he wasn't acting any different, right? But, the boy in front of him told him differently. If Nai was able to pick up on mood changes then how could he not consider that he was different lately? He felt frustrated. He didn't want to be useless and he definitely didn't want to be a cause for concern. Was he so drowned in his own self pity that he had been oblivious to it's impact? If Nai could see it then... that means everyone else could as well. He scowled. "Go ahead without me, I need some fresh air."

He could tell that Nai wanted to protest but Yogi grabbed the young boy's hand and squeezed, looking down at him reassuringly. "Come on, little Nai. Gareki will catch up with us, right, Gareki?"

"Yeah, sure." He watched as Yogi and Nai skipped off down the corridor before turning around in the opposite direction. He found himself outside, looking around at his surroundings. They were in a small village of which he didn't know the name of. The hot springs were located at the edge of a forest so there were quite a few trees around; he spotted a cluster of trees a little bit away from the springs and made his way over to them. To make himself feel more comfortable, he eased himself out of the chair and onto the ground where he leaned up against a tree and let out a heavy sigh. How could he have let himself get so pitiful? He hated weakness and right now he was the very epitome of it. And it wasn't because he was wheelchair ridden either. It was his self pitying aura. He was acting like a child! He mentally cursed himself for such behavior. He wanted to be useful but right now he was being more of a burden than anything else. Everyone was concerned for him for how much he was distancing himself, if he would just stop with the pathetic attitude, they might just see him for what he actually was: just an injured kid who needs time to recover before he's back to his old self. Instead they were seeing him as some broken and depressed child who needed to be coddled. It was pathetic.

He looked down at the cast on his lower leg and sighed. It would still be around six weeks before it was removed but he couldn't let that affect him. He needed to be stronger than this..

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a twig snap and he turned his body to see a disheveled looking dog limping through the trees. He used his good arm to hoist himself up, leaning against the tree for support as he watched the dog stop moving. The animal stared at him and he furrowed his brow in curiosity. Clearly the animal was hurt; he was just about to get back in his wheelchair to go help the animal when it's fur began to stand on end, leaning on it's haunches in an attack ready position, the animal was barring its teeth, growling viciously at Gareki. He gasped, noticing the animal's mannerisms and strange, broken appearance. Post-animal..

_Shit_, he thought. Instinctively, he went to reach for his gun but cursed when he remember that Hirato still had it. The dog began to sprint toward him and he pushed himself off of the tree to get back to his wheelchair. Despite the dog's twisted appearance, he knew it was much faster than him and he began to panic. How could he outrun it when his left arm didn't even have the strength to push him very fast, much less on grass! He clenched his teeth, the dog was almost upon him as he sat heavily in his wheelchair and just as he was about to get himself the hell out of there, the dog dropped in front of him... a knife sticking out of it's left eye. Dumbfounded, he turned around slowly, his eyes widening with shock.

"F-Fade..?"

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So yeah, reviews welcome again  
No flames

Expected update: 11/13/14


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own nor profit

I'm glad people seem to be liking Fade

The next chapter is where all the action will be starting so look forward to that;  
I know it's taken a bit to get the ball rolling but I really don't like leaving holes so yeah

Enjoy

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He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The older teenager had been looking for him? And how the hell did he even manage to find him? He looked Fade up and down, he was holding up two other throwing knives, clenched between his knuckles and was wearing the same olive-green zip up trench coat he always wore. The hood was off of his head, exposing his messy hair and his riding goggles were still over his eyes. In fact, he was still sitting upon his motorbike. How the hell had he not heard the sound of the bike? Sure, it was extremely quiet but with the stillness around him he should have been able to hear it. The post-animal really had him quite distracted...

The older boy swung his leg over the bike, putting his knives away before he pulled his goggles off of his face. His expression was blank and he didn't even bother casting a look at Gareki as he walked over to the dead animal, pulled his knife out and wiped the putrid blood off with a cloth he pulled out of his pocket. He scowled at the sight of the strange blood and tossed the scrap of cloth to the ground, clearly disgusted. He stood up straight, his back still to Gareki before he pivoted his foot, simply turning his head to look at the younger teen. "What the hell happened to you?" A smirk spread across his face and Gareki felt that old, but familiar twinge of annoyance at Fade's insulting sense of humor. Honestly, he couldn't even be pissed. He simply slumped in his chair with relief and ignored the question.

Putting away his knife, Fade walked over to Gareki, crouching in front of the injured boy. "Alright, that's how you show gratitude for saving your skin?"

"What the hell are you doing here, Fade? How did you find me?" He hadn't meant for it to come across so harsh and he bit down lightly on his tongue for his impulsiveness but it was justified! Fade was more of a criminal than he was and he was with Circus, after all! He had no way of knowing if the ship's second captain would let Fade go or turn him over to the police so maybe he was being a bit rude, but goddamnit he didn't want his old partner to go down. The older boy was the only person Gareki worked with that he didn't think was absolute scum.

Fade placed his hands on his knees, then pushed himself up into a standing position. He looked away from the kid, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You disappeared and I felt responsible. I just had to make sure you were alright." He paused, looking back at the still scowling face of his former partner. "Now it's your turn. What the hell happened to you?" he gestured to Gareki's injuries, knowing how bizarre it was for the kid to be injured so severely. He was careful, calculating... so how..?

Gareki pressed his lips together, unsure of how much he could say. Before he could even get the chance to open his mouth, however, he heard a familiar voice calling his name. _Motherfuc-_

"Garekiiiii!" Yogi was calling his name in his obnoxious sing-song voice and he ground his teeth with frustration. Whatever he was hoping to avoid with Fade, couldn't be any longer - not unless the teen left right now. And from the look of determination on Fade's slightly dirt covered face.. that wasn't going to happen. He sighed outwardly. Whatever. If Fade got turned in it was his own stupid fault.

Fade turned his gaze upon the half-naked blonde who was running toward them, waving an arm above his head to signal to Gareki that he was there; as if in a crowd and Gareki couldn't see him. He glanced over at the boy, an eyebrow cocked as if to say 'who the hell is this idiot'? Gareki returned his expression with one of reluctance and annoyance before he slumped further down into his wheelchair, covering his face with his hand. _Please just kill me now_, he thought.

"Gaareee- Oh?" Yogi stopped a few feet away from the two boys, a puzzled look upon his features. "Who is this?"

Fade turned his body to openly face the older male, his arms crossed. He clearly wasn't going to say anything, instead he glanced down at Gareki to give the man an answer. The younger boy couldn't help but smirk slightly. Fade knew better than to give anything away and for that he was grateful.

"Wait.." Yogi looked between the two, picking up on their unspoken communication. "Gareki, is this your friend?!" The older man placed his hand over his heart, as if wounded. A hurt expression crossed his face, as if he couldn't believe the teen could have any friends other than with Circus. Normally, repealing the idea of a friend was Gareki's go-to but seeing Yogi's reaction... he just couldn't pass this up.

"Yeah, you could say that."

Yogi dropped to his knees in utter defeat, his face drained of colour and all sense of support leaving his body. "Gareki doesn't love Yogi.." he mumbled. Fade looked down at the broken man, his expression blank but his eyes were clearly judging and marking Yogi as an absolute imbecile. Yeah. Gareki had had the same reaction.

"Can we just go inside now?" Gareki asked impatiently.

Yogi looked up at the boy and started to stand up, nodding sadly. But then, he noticed the dead post-animal and his attention turned back quickly to the two boys. "W-what happened..?"

Fade looked at Gareki expectantly to which Gareki sighed. "Can we talk about this inside? Too many damn questions."

Yogi nodded, still visibly upset in his man-child way as he was about to walk over to help Gareki inside. Fade, however, put his arm out to stop him, staring at Yogi with a look that said 'try it and you're dead'. Yogi shied away and shivered, mumbling something about almost being as scary as Akari but he turned around and started walking back to the building. Fade didn't bother looking at Gareki but instead started walking after the excentric "adult". He sat there for a moment, staring after the older boy gratefully before he began to move himself through the grass. To other people, Fade may have come across as cold but he knew differently; Fade's demeanor, the way he handled Gareki was exactly what he needed. He never doubted the younger boy's abilities and even if he knew Gareki would struggle... he rarely stepped in to help because he knew all he wanted was to be strong and get stronger. And, with that, came challenges. Fade knew better than anyone when not to test out Gareki's patience and when to just let him be.

Once inside, Yogi led them to their room and inside was Nai and Tsukumo, patiently waiting. Fade stepped aside to allow Gareki inside first and he watched as a white-haired boy jumped up excitedly but whose expression became confused once he walked in. He closed the door behind them and the blonde haired girl spoke up first. "Yogi, who is this?"

"Ask Gareki.." the man mumbled and slumped on one of the beds.

Nai ran over to Gareki and grabbed his hand. "You're warmer." The older boy snatched his hand away from the niji and rolled his eyes. Nai skipped over and sat next to Yogi, who was now staring at Gareki expectantly.

"His name is Fade and.. we worked together."

Tsukumo averted her gaze over at the stranger in the room who was leaning against the door, his body rigid and clearly prepared for anything. The way he stood, the way he clenched his jaw; she could tell this boy was capable of being dangerous but was he a danger to them? Due to being an acquaintance of Gareki, she decided to relax and give the boy the benefit of the doubt. But she had her eye on him.

"Now who are they?" Fade gestured to the three strangers, he was itching for answers.

"When we broke into Mine's mansion, I found him," he pointed at the white-haired boy, "being held captive by the twisted bitch. But, this idiot got himself framed for murder so we were on the run. I couldn't afford to go back right away but not like I had much of a choice.." he glared over at Yogi who stood up.

"I'm Yogi, second ship combatant of Circus and that's.."

"Tsukumo, second ship combatant of Circus."

Fade's muscles tightened and his fist clenched. "Circus?"

Tsukumo stood up, walking over to Fade. "He's not in any trouble. We don't deal with petty theft but he came into contact with something dangerous so he's with us for now."

"Speaking of... Tsukumo, this boy also came into contact with a post-animal. Is that what happened, Gareki?" Yogi looked at the boys curiously, unsure of their situation at hand.

Gareki rolled his eyes. "It was about to attack me and before I could do anything Fade threw a knife and hit it in the eye. It died."

"Did he come into contact with the blood?" Tsukumo pressed.

"What the hell is this all about? What's a 'post-animal' and why would it matter if I came into contact with-"

Suddenly, Tsukumo was moving. She pressed her forearm against the teen's neck, using enough pressure to pin him up against the wall but not hurt him. In the same instant, Fade slipped out a knife from his sleeve, which Tsukumo knocked out by kneeing him in the wrist. He grunted and glared at the girl, whose face was blank. "Just answer the question."

"Tsukumo, he didn't touch it! Let him go," Gareki grumbled, clearly unhappy with he confrontation at hand.

She eased her hold on him, "Is that true?"

"I wiped it off the blade with a rag and threw it on the ground," he spat. She then released him and took her seat back on the bed. He reached down, grabbing his knife and stuck it back up inside his sleeve before adjusting his zip up.

"We'll have to take him back to the ship for examination. Luckily, the ship hasn't left yet. I'll call Hirato." Just as soon as she had sat down, Tsukumo stood back up, brushing past Fade and exited the room, her cellphone in hand.

Fade took a deep breath, looking frustrated. "What the hell is going on?"

Gareki ran his hands through his hair. Now Fade was being taken into Circus custody since he had come into contact with and killed a post-animal. He was frustrated but hopefully this meant they wouldn't hand the teen over to the authorities who were qualified to deal with him. He sighed, looking over at Fade. "You're about to get the full run-down." He looked confused but otherwise said nothing.

Tsukumo walked back into the room, her expression unreadable. "Everyone pack up. Hirato wants us back."

-On the ship-

It was just Fade and Gareki sitting before Hirato. The older gentleman was looking at the two boys with an amused expression on his face; the same expression that first annoyed Gareki was also clearly annoying Fade. Hirato had to admit: the parallels between the two boys was interesting indeed. However, they carried themselves differently. While Gareki had an air of confidence, it was a delicate confidence. One that completely knew his abilities but also strongly knew his limitations.. and strived to surpass them. The other boy, however... he was smug; there was experience in his muscles, that much he could tell even though he was just sitting before him. He was confident, yes, but almost arrogantly so. He closed his eyes, interlocking his fingers together in front of his mouth to hide a smile before he cleared his throat.

"So you came into contact with another post-animal, did you?" Despite knowing the answers to his questions, Hirato asked them anyway. He wanted to see the interactions between the teenagers for himself.

As he thought, the boy named Fade stayed silent. His arms were crossed in front of him, his lips pressed together. It wasn't a gesture of allowing Gareki to take the lead, but rather a mutual agreement between the two. Gareki knew more of the situation at hand so the other boy stayed silent, waiting to see how much information they were able to share. It intrigued the older man; they were displaying interesting levels of trust in one another. He knew of the work they did together but Gareki had never before shown any semblance of trust for his old comrades, nor did he show any particular remorse for leaving them behind. There seemed to be a level of respect he held in the older teen though. He was interested in discovering just what it was this boy could do.

"If Fade hadn't of killed it, I would have been toast," Gareki spoke matter-of-factly. Though he didn't seem particularly proud to admit it.

"Well, unfortunately, the situation at hand leaves me no choice but to hold Fade in our custody as well. At least until we've cleared him for Varuga contamination."

The older boy jumped up, his stance one of defiance but the way his muscles were positioned, told Hirato he was prepared to flee if necessary. "You may as well relax. I have no intention of charging you or handing you over to the rightful authorities. I am, however, interested in how you managed to track Gareki here."

The teenager sighed heavily and took a seat back on the soft couch. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I cashed in a favour with someone to break the anti-tracker on Gareki's phone."

Gareki's eyes narrowed and he shot a glare in the direction of the older teen. He said nothing, but a flash of understanding crossed the boy's face. Must be another petty criminal they were trying to protect; however, Hirato didn't care about that detail. It simply wasn't within his jurisdiction.

"You got lucky then. I've had Gareki's phone within my possession since he came to Airship 2. The... modifications.. were simply too dangerous for me to allow him to keep it. I bet you're curious as to why Gareki is here. Unfortunately I cannot disclose such information unless it's deemed necessary for your continued stay. For now, we're on route to the Research Tower where you'll undergo examination of which you have no right to refuse. I'll have Yogi retrieve the two of you once we arrive. Gareki, take him to your room, we're finished for now."

Hirato smiled. He could tell Fade wanted to protest but the boy held his tongue when Gareki simply turned around and began his path toward the door. The brunette stood, shot one last glare in the captain's direction before following Gareki out, the door closing shut behind them.

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Okay so this was an early update because it was a lot of talking and reconciliation  
Which isn't the most exciting so I'm hoping to update again by Friday (11/14/14) but we'll see

Reviews welcome; no flames


	7. Chapter 7

This took me a while to update and I apologize

But this chapter is a bit longer than my other ones so hopefully that makes up for it

I do not own Karneval or profit off of this; enjoy

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Though he hated to admit it, Gareki was overwhelmed with relief. Hirato could just as easily send Fade for examination and immediately turn the boy over to authorities but from the way the man had talked... he wasn't going to do that. But, what had he meant by mentioning Fade's possible continued stay? He couldn't possibly mean that he was going to allow his former partner to stay and offer his own hand in assistance... could he?

Beside him, Fade was grinding his teeth together. His confusion had quickly turned to frustration and he was annoyed at his own blatant inability to control the situation he'd found himself in. Why was Gareki, a burglar, here with Circus? And, come to think of it, what the hell had that animal been that he killed? It appeared to be a dog but it looked... almost.. zombified. He had heard the term 'post-animal' several times but he had no clue as to what that was. What he did know was Circus is a highly specialized agency that doesn't even look in the direction of people like him and Gareki. However, exactly who or _what_ Circus was trained to abolish was a mystery - but he intended to find out.

-1 week later - 7 weeks total-

It had been around a week since Fade had been cleared of any contamination threat. Since then, Hirato had been watching the boy closely. He didn't appear to be a threat to anyone on the ship - not that he could be - and his presence seemed to brighten up Gareki's mood, if even a little. The teenager was no longer completely isolating himself and going out of his way to be alone, but rather displayed a sort of reluctant acceptance at other's company. He had confiscated all of Fade's weapons (which he was rather astonished at how many knives the boy carried on his person). This had pissed off the teenager more than anything but he hadn't protested, it seemed that he just wanted to be near Gareki, making sure the younger boy was alright. it was quite interesting indeed, the two boys seemed indifferent toward one another but there was something deep between the two. They watched each other's back, that much was apparent. In the time that he had been observing the newest addition, he'd made a decision. He wanted to fairly assess the boy's ability with his knives, as well as his fighting skills. From there, he would decided whether or not he would allow Fade to stay on the ship to assist Nai and Gareki. After all... he could come in handy.

Gareki sat with his arms crossed, his bulky cast pressing uncomfortably against his chest and rubbing against the skin of his other arm. Next week it would be removed and that he was happy about. But, right now, his attention was on Hirato and Fade. They were in a room on the ship that he'd never before been in. It was a large room with a few targets and other equipment to practice weapon usage as well as an empty part of the room that Gareki assumed was used to practice hand to hand combat. Hirato had given Fade back his knives for the time being, as it seemed he wanted to assess his skill set. He wondered what conclusion Hirato would even come to - Fade was extremely skilled, even more so than himself (except when it came to technology and guns, but overall, Fade was more well rounded), but that only did him so well. These people were from Circus, and if Gareki's gun was hardly effective against Varuga, how effective could Fade's knives be? Just what exactly was Hirato looking for?

Fade was standing across from Hirato, he held his butterfly knife in his left hand, flicking and twisting the blade expertly and lazily. His posture was relaxed, his head tilted to the side as he looked Hirato in the eyes. The older man was standing up straight, proper, both of his hands on the top of his cane as he watching Fade, his facial expression one of amusement. "Why don't we start with you hitting the furthest targets from where you stand?"

Fade turned his head, glancing over at the targets to the right of him. He smirked, sliding one of his knives out of his right sleeve with a quick flick of the wrist and, without pivoting, he thrust out his arm, his blade sticking in the center red circle of the target that was the furthest away from him. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Hirato, his cocky smile now replaced with an expression of neutrality. "Child's play." The ship's captain said nothing, to which Fade took as a sign to continue doing what he was doing. He backed up several paces, throwing his knives until each target was embedded with a knife right in the dead center. Gareki knew this was easy to Fade, even with moving targets he rarely missed, and even when he did 'miss' it was just because he didn't hit the exact spot he was aiming for; but he always at least hit his target. The older boy had been practicing for years though; he'd been on the streets since he was a child and with a world so unsafe, of course the boy had learned some sort of skill. If Hirato was going to allow Fade to travel with them, Gareki could only see one problem arising: Fade's confidence. He had never seen, much less fought, a Varuga so Gareki could easily see the older teenager getting cocky, it could very easily be his downfall. It would need to be avoided.

Hirato turned his gaze to look at each one of the targets. The boy's posture was sloppy, his form far from proper but his aim was impeccable. Each knife laid dead center, however, anyone, with enough practice and discipline, could achieve this. With the accuracy and consistency, Hirato had no doubt the boy threw well against moving targets but he wanted to test one more thing...

"Collect your knives from the targets. I want you to fight me as though I am a real enemy putting you in danger."

Gareki looked between the two men, astonished. What the hell was Hirato trying to prove? He could seriously hurt Fade! But, no... Hirato had enough sense of control, in fact, he would probably hold back a great deal. But, still.. it seemed as if Hirato was allowing the teen to use his knives. Just what was he testing?

Alternatively, Fade was looking at the older man with a puzzled expression. He slowly started to make his way over to the targets, never once removing his eyes from Hirato's smiling form as he pulled each weapon from the embedded targets, returning them to their normal spot on his person.

"I can assure you, you won't harm me. Just come at me with everything you've got."

The butterfly knife, that he had been holding the whole time (it was definitely _not_ for throwing), suddenly stopped moving in his left hand. He turned to face Hirato, sliding the knife into his waist band. He wasn't an idiot, he knew he stood no match against someone from circus but he'd be damned if he took out any of his knives to use against the older man. Could he harm Hirato with them? Probably not, but he wouldn't give the ship's captain the satisfaction of seeing him bare his specialty against him with no results. He would not allow this man to make him feel incompetent, no matter how true it may be in the presence of Circus combatants. He took a deep breath, crouched down and bounced readily on the balls of his feet. It wasn't his style to make the first move but when Hirato stood before him, that stupid grin on his face, it was obvious he wasn't going to make the first move so that meant he was up. He ran at the man, his fist raised and pulled back but right as he got close, the captain seemingly disappeared. Fade gasped at the man's speed, _how in the hell -_ but he didn't have time to ponder this. He sensed the man behind him and he jumped to the side, just barely managing to avoid a kick that would have landed square on his lower back.

"Not bad, your reflexes are quick indeed."

Fade scoffed, he wouldn't let his senses be dulled by this man's empty praise. He was being toyed with... and he knew it. There was no way he could have avoided that kick if Hirato hadn't allowed him to; if the man really had wanted the hit to land... it would have. His jump to the side had been sloppy and he nearly tripped over his own two feet... yes the praise was empty. He was slightly annoyed with his own clumsiness. So, this is what Gareki had been made to endure? Come to think of it... this wasn't how the boy was injured... was it? Just the thought.. of this man toying with the younger boy to the point of severe injury.. well, it just pissed him off. He shook the thought out of his head. It did no good to make assumptions. He had no proof and would just end up fogging his judgement. No. He had to keep his mind clear.

Gareki watched in awe as Hirato made the next move, he started to run at Fade, the same direction as to where Gareki was watching. Fade's back was to the younger teen but Gareki could see his muscles were tense. Fade was always ready for anything, but this tension was different than his usual preparedness. He normally had a lax posture, even when wound up but right now.. he seemed frustrated. It was understandably so, after all, Hirato definitely had a habit of getting on people's nerves..

Fade, seeing that he wouldn't be able to counter Hirato's attack, quickly jumped to the side, his body curling into a somersault to get away quicker. However, as he untucked his body, he realized that he hadn't been Hirato's target. "Gareki!"

_What the hell?_ He realized that Hirato was running at him, but he was too confused to do anything about it. Surely the captain didn't mean to harm him. But, as the older man got closer, Gareki's puzzlement grew. _What the hell is he doing?!_

Then, Hirato stopped, shifting his body quickly as if avoiding something. It was then that Gareki realized Fade had thrown a knife in the direction of the older man. Hirato straightened, his face one of amusement before the smile fell off of his lips and his expression turned serious. He twisted his arm and as he did, Gareki saw a slim rip in the man's suit coat. Fade had... his knife managed to hit him? Even if ever so slightly... and from the look on Hirato's face.. he was just as surprised as Gareki. The ship captain's expression softened and he dusted himself off, turning to face Fade. "I want you to come to my quarters in an hour, bring your knives, I will need to hold on to them again. Bring Gareki as well, we need to discuss your new arrangement." And with that, Hirato turned and left the training room, leaving the two boys confused and dumbfounded.

-page break-

As usual, Gareki looked annoyed to be sitting before Hirato and the older boy looked slightly pissed off. He supposed it was to be expected, he had, after all, charged after his comrade in order to test Fade's willingness to protect a person of importance. Even in just a training environment, when logic assumed Hirato would not actually harm the teen, Fade had ignored this and took the actions he deemed necessary given the situation. It made him wonder: if Gareki hadn't been injured, would Fade have had the same reaction? Either way, he saw potential in the boy... both of the boys, actually. He planned on keeping that to himself though, for the time being.

He watched as Fade slouched into the seat in front of Hirato and Gareki looked off at nothing in particular, a bored look upon his features.

"The creature you killed is known as a post-animal. As you are aware, Circus is a specialized government agency, though exactly what we specialize in is presumed to be a mystery. Hidden from the public. Before I continue, I need you to agree to some terms," Hirato began. He noticed Gareki's eyes widen slightly, but he continued to look away, still acting as though he was bored by all of this. Fade, on the other hand, leaned forward eagerly, no doubt wanting the answers to all of his questions. So he continued, "You will not have access to your weapons unless I give clearance. You are to cooperate with Circus and should you become a hinderance... we will deal with you accordingly. In the eyes of Circus, you are a civilian and will be treated as such. You are held to secrecy. What you see while with us must not be disclosed to the public. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Fade nodded.

"Circus's reason for being comes down to one simple mission: destroy the agency Kafka. Kafka is an organization that believes it's leading the world into an era of human evolution... Circus disagrees. The animal you killed was only a fraction of what Kafka actually does; they create, what we call, Varuga. This is how Gareki was injured - they are very dangerous. You and Gareki are both skilled in your areas of expertise, I will not deny that, however, neither of you are trained to handle Varuga. And, you have never seen one." He paused. He could see Fade's posture relax slightly and Gareki's face was a light shade of red, as if embarrassed by Hirato calling out his injuries. He continued, "Varuga were once human or animal. I will assume you were with Gareki when you broke into Lady Mine's mansion, is that correct?"

Fade clenched his teeth, looking hesitant before he spoke, "We were covering different areas at the time, but yes. We were both there. I didn't see Gareki at all after we split up, but I know something happened. Everything was destroyed. I want answers."

Hirato nodded slowly. This meant Fade had not come into contact with Lady Mine, nor had he seen her. This made things a bit more difficult to explain but he pressed on, "Gareki here had a run in with Lady Mine, whom we had suspicions was involved with Kafka. They were once human - or animal - but given a special drug to alter their bodies they become Varuga. No longer human; Kafka believes them to be superior; the peak of human evolution but they are nothing more than vile monsters. We must be careful when we fight them, if their blood mixes with yours, you will be contaminated and there is nothing we can do." Hirato paused and pulled out a cellular device, prodding at the screen for a few moments before leaning forward, handing the phone to Fade.

"What the hell?" Fade looked closely at the photo up on the screen. It was a woman.. or as close to a woman as he could tell. Her skin was a greying tone and her arms were long and slender, twisted and grotesque. Where her eyes were supposed to be were black pits with small pinpricks of a toxic green coloured pupil. Her mouth was full of sharp teeth and her nose seemed to be missing, a black void in its place. What in the hell was this?

"That is Lady Mine in the form of a Varuga. You can see why we wish to eliminate these... creations."

Fade slowly leaned forward, handing the phone back to Hirato. "What do these have to do with Gareki?"

The ship's captain turned his attention onto Gareki, silently telling the boy it was his turn to enlighten his companion. The boy sighed, "When I dropped in on the old hag's room, there was a boy who wanted help escaping, like I told you before. What I didn't tell you was that the old hag transformed and nearly killed both of us but we managed to escape. After we were on the run from Nai getting framed, we hopped a train that turned out to be hijacked. That's when we ran into Hirato and Tsukumo; I ended up helping them disarm a bomb and after that we were on our way again. Just my luck, Nai is a lot more trouble than he looks and some people were chasing after him... they would have killed me had Yogi not intervened. After that, the took us into custody, see, Nai has an old Circus operative bracelet that belongs to some guy named Karoku, who he apparently lived with. So we made a deal, Nai and I stay to help Circus attract Varuga - apparently Nai is good at that- and Circus helps us find this Karoku guy. So here we are."

The older teen suddenly stood up quickly, his face contorted in anger. "You mean to tell me you use those two for bait?!"

"Make no mistake, Fade. With or without us, Nai would attract Varuga, putting them both in grave danger. We protect them both and in turn it helps us further our cause, that is all," Hirato's voice had risen slightly, as if he had been slightly angered by Fade's accusation but he still remained calm.

Scoffing, the boy sat down again, glancing over at Gareki. "So how did that happen?"

"An unfortunate accident, you'd be better off asking Yogi about the details as I wasn't present at the time."

Fade pressed his lips together, taking a deep breath. "Was Gareki armed?"

Hirato closed his eyes slowly, intertwining his fingers in front of himself. "Off the bat, no. According to Yogi he managed to find a gun in an old Kafka hideout they were investigating - apparently not the first time he's done so. The weapon was old, it wasn't very effective."

"I'll stay and assist Gareki. We work well together," the boy paused, standing up and turning his back to Hirato before he began stripping himself of his weapons. He turned around, placing all of his knives on the table between him and Hirato. His eyes were narrowed, his gaze angry and determined as he spoke again, "but we perform best when we're armed. I don't like seeing my comrades injured because of a blatant disregard of ability and cockiness in one's own agents. Your people were unable to prevent a near fatal disaster and I can't just brush that off. When we leave this ship together, as bait, it's only right we're given our weapons to defend ourselves. To hell with "threat", these Varuga are the threats! If anything happens to Gareki - or Nai - because you refuse to arm us properly... next time my knife won't just graze your suit coat." And, then Fade was gone from the room, leaving a stunned Gareki and an amused looking Hirato.

-1 week later - 8 weeks total-

Gareki was sitting on an examination table in a private room waiting for Doctor Akari. He had already had his arm x-rayed by a technician and now he was waiting for Akari to get the results. It had been eight weeks since he'd been hospitalized and that meant it was time to get his arm cast taken off so hopefully the x-ray would show that it was ready.

It had also been one week since Hirato had allowed Fade to stay.. also one week since the older boy had threatened the Circus second ship Captain. Since then, Fade had easily adjusted to life on the ship and Nai had also gotten over his slight fear of the seventeen-year-old's brash behavior and had actually taken to the boy. Fade didn't seem to mind Nai's pestering and actually seemed to have taken a sort of liking to the little niji. Yogi, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any sort of liking to Fade and actually made a point to avoid the boy. Gareki assumed much of this was due to jealousy and he couldn't help but feel amused by it. Although, he knew there was also another reason Yogi avoided the boy: after Fade had questioned him and Yogi about Gareki's injuries, the older teen had punched the man so hard that he still had a bruised jaw and cheek. He couldn't say he didn't see it coming though...

He turned his head as he heard the door open and in walked Akari, the same neutral expression he always wore. He walked over to the sink in the corner of the room, washing his hands as he began to speak. "How are you feeling, Gareki?"

"Never better, just get this thing off my arm."

Akari turned off the faucet and dried his hands, turning back to face Gareki before he sat on a stool, pulling up Gareki's files. "Any pain in your arm?"

"Not recently, no," he said.

"When was the last time you felt any pain?"

He had to think about that one, the only thing that had caused even slight discomfort was his leg. "Probably about two weeks and even that was only a little annoying."

Akari nodded, pulled out a device used for cutting open casts and approached Gareki, picking up his arm tenderly. "You may find your arm to appear very pale and thin, it won't be as strong but rest assured it will return to normal soon enough. Ready?"

The teen nodded, watching as Akari turned over his arm and carefully began cutting into the cast. He could feel the vibrations from the tool slightly and soon he could see the pallid skin peeking out beneath the cast. He looked down at the ground, waiting until Akari completely cut through the hard material and slid the pieces off of his arm. The skin underneath the cast appear dry and pale and the muscles looked somehow smaller; it was extremely bizarre but he took comfort in the fact that it was normal. There were several shiny white scars where the bones had broken through his skin and one long scar along the length of the limb where Akari had performed surgery to fuse the bones back together with thin and unnoticeable pins and metal rods. Akari set both the tool and the cast material aside, gingerly holding Gareki's arm so his palm was facing upward.

"I want you to make a fist."

He did as he was told, slowly flexing his fingers and tightening the fist, when there was no pain, he looked to Akari to await his next instructions. "I want you to now rotate your wrist." He did so, gasping when the movement cause just a sliver of pain but it wasn't enough to really bother him. "It's still weak, so I want you to wear a brace when you're using your crutches but when you're not, I want you to have the brace off and do some exercises that I'll show you here in just a moment. I'll be right back, I'm going to grab some crutches and a brace."

Gareki watched as Akari left the room and he couldn't help but smile a bit. He would never have to sit in that freaking wheelchair again and he didn't have to feel so helpless anymore. Sure, crutches were still limiting to what he could do but at least he would be walking and people wouldn't insist on pushing him around. He thought back to when Fade had first found him; how he had held out his arm and stared Yogi down until the older man had backed off. Before, their partnership had been mutual, they spoke and whatnot but they were never particularly friendly to one another. He understood what had changed though: Fade was fiercly loyal and though he thought everyone in their group were idiots -like Gareki did- he'd be damned if anything happened to them on his watch. Although, it appeared he couldn't give a damn less about them now, which he also understood. To Fade, even though he was protective, he didn't exactly care about those he worked with. His protectiveness came from his own internal sense of 'if something happens, it's because _I _wasn't strong enough' and not some sense of 'these people mean something to me'. In fact, he was certain that if anyone else had gone missing from the group, Fade would have just been pissed off at himself for a few days then go about his normal business. But, no, he valued Gareki. Why? He wasn't sure, but he knew the older boy valued skill and Gareki had been essential to them.

The door opened once again and Gareki glanced over to see Akari tilting a pair of adjustable metal cruches up against the wall. He took a seat back in front of Gareki, motioning for the boy to hold out his arm. He did as he was told, and watched as Akari undid the velcro straps on the brace and loosened it. Holding onto Gareki's arm by the wrist, he slid the boy's arm into the rigid material, making sure his thumb was aligned in the thumb hole before he began tightening the straps to fit snuggly on his arm. "Is that too tight?" Gareki shook his head and examined the black brace on his arm. The opening of the brace started in the center of the back of his hand, leaving an opening for the thumb, and ended three quarters of the way up his forearm, not quite reaching the ditch of his elbow. It was still annoying that he needed such a thing bt he was grateful, afterall, he could take this off.

"Alright, I'm going to have you try out the crutches now. I want you to stand up, use the table to support yourself, I need to adjust them to your height." Akari watched for a moment as Gareki maneuvered himself off the table, wobbling slightly as he stood on one leg but quickly regaining his balance as he leaned against the soft padding on the table. Satisfied, Akari grabbed the crutches and had Gareki put it underneath his arm, where he stood up straight. It was only slightly too high for him so he adjusted them both about two notches down then handed the one back to him. Satisfied with the height of the crutches, Akari then handed the second crutch to him, keeping his eye upon the braced arm as Gareki wrapped his fingers around the handle. The boy wasn't stupid, he inched himself slowly away from the table, gingerly testing the amount of weight he could put upon his newly healed arm. When he felt no problems, he evenly distributed his weight between the two supports and took a few steps. He seemed a bit unstable as he did so but Akari was satisfied with the progress. He motioned for Gareki to sit back down and the boy complied, waiting for Akari's next instructions.

"For the first few days, I don't want you walking around too much. Your body isn't used to it and I don't need your body giving out on you because you're pushing it too far. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, I get it."

Akari glared at the boy momentarily for the insolent tone in his voice but cleared his throat, choosing to ignore it rather than address it. He then handed Gareki a booklet containing physical therapy exercises and said, "I've marked the pages I want you to look at and do every day. Right now, I'm needed elsewhere so if you have any questions ask the Doctor on Airship 2 and he will be able to help you. I'll see you back here in two weeks." He nodded at the teen before leaving out the door, which was shut only for a few moments before a very excited Nai popped his head inside.

"Is Gareki all better?" The boy's eyes lit up as he watched Gareki stand up off the bed, using his new crutches as support. He hobbled over to the door, which Nai held open for him, and ruffled the younger boy's hair as he maneuvered passed him. "Not exactly but I'm better than before."

"Garekiiiiiii!"

"Oh great.." he mumbled at hearing the familiar voice. The blonde male ran up to him, stopping just shy of knocking the younger boy over and then proceeded to throw his arms around Gareki's neck, hugging him carefully but still tightly. "Hey! Get off of me!"

Yogi nuzzled his face into Gareki's shoulder, ignoring his request. "I'm so happy you're getting better, you have no idea how much we've missed having you in the field!" The teenager sighed heavily, his eye twitching from annoyance but his attention was reverted back to Nai as he felt the Niji grab onto his wrist, smiling up at him. His body slouched as he accepted his fate for just a moment before he began counting down from five in head. When he reached one, he looked down at Nai, tilting his head to motion for the boy to move back. When Nai was far enough away, he turned his attention back to the man-baby that was still clinging to him and coddling him. He then shifted his weight, using his crutches as support to lean his weight on his injured leg (slightly surprised that it was supporting him) then reared back his uninjured leg. "I said... get off!" He then proceeded the kick the man away from him who stumbled back and slumped to his knees in front of the boy, a pout etched into his features.

"I-I'm just so glad you're getting better!" Yogi whined. Gareki's gaze fell to the bruise on the man's face and he rolled his eyes, sighing. "Just don't freaking hug me, you almost knocked me over, you idiot!" Yogi flinched from Gareki's words, sniffling. "I-I'm sorry, Gareki.."

"Get up! You look like a damn idiot. Can we just go back to the ship?"

At the mention of going back to the ship, Yogi perked up, standing and smiling in Nai's direction. "Ready to go back, little Nai?" The young niji grabbed back on to Gareki's wrist, his soft features smiling as he nodded. "Uh-huh!"

It was difficult for Gareki to use his crutches while Nai was holding on to him but he chose not to say anything about it. He knew the younger boy had been worried about him and these past few weeks he had distanced himself from him and for that he felt slightly guilty. For now, he would let Nai have this, he owed him that much.

-A few days later-

Gareki had been following Akari's instructions for the last few days and he already felt much stronger. The first day, he couldn't walk very far without his arms getting sore and just getting overall tired. While the crutches still irritated his underarms a bit, he could now walk for much longer and he was feeling overall much better about everything. Just a little while longer and he'd be taking the cast off as well. His arm was also feeling stronger and the skin wasn't dry or flakey anymore. The colour had returned a little bit but after being out of any form of sunlight for eight weeks, it would take a little time for the colour to completely return. The limb was still thin but not as bad as it had been when it first got out of the cast. The improvements flooded him with relief but it also made him a little nervous for the condition his leg would be in when it was freed from it's 10-12 week plaster encased prison.

Today they'd all be getting off of the ship for a day of leisure and for once Gareki couldn't say he even wanted to protest. According to Yogi, they were going for a shopping trip - that part he wasn't excited for - but he _was_ pumped to get out and get some fresh air. Even Fade had agreed to come - much to Yogi's disdain. Yogi seemed almost as frightened and off-put by Fade as he was with Akari but he seemed to tolerate the teenager better than the doctor. Fade thought Yogi was an idiot anyway so it didn't seem to affect him at all.

They had all eaten breakfast already and Gareki was standing next to Fade and Nai, the young niji holding on to the sleeve of Gareki's jacket. Seeing that the teen was more active now, the boy had been at his side more often again and Gareki allowed it, finding an unusual sense of comfort in his presence. Mostly Nai took naps while he studied or the boy would somehow con everyone into a game of hide and seek with the sheep (which he hated doing because he was always one of the first found with his limited mobility). Usually it was either Tsukumo or Fade who always won - not to mention they seemed to share a mutual respect for one another. Fade had mentioned at one point how he admired how protective she had been when they first met and Tsukumo was impressed with his abilities - for being a civilian. Either way, at least Fade got along with someone other than Nai and himself.

As soon as Tsukumo and Yogi approached, they prepared to head off of the ship. Tsukumo grabbed Fade and Yogi held onto Nai and Gareki and in no time they were off the ship and in the middle of a town square. When Yogi released Gareki, the boy stumbled and dropped one of his crutches but he managed to stay upright, thanking Nai when the young boy handed him his other crutch.

"I'm going to take Fade to a shop I think he would like, we'll meet back here in two hours," Tsukumo said flatly. Secretly, Gareki thought Tsukumo was just keeping Fade and Yogi apart but he kept that to himself, simply shrugging as Fade raised a hand to him in a gesture of departure. He watched them walk away then realized the position he'd found himself in. Now it was just him with Nai and Yogi... the child and the man-child. He sighed. It was going to be a long day.

-page break-

"Like hell I'm going in there!" Gareki shouted.

"Come on Gareki, little Nai is excited! He wants to go see Nyanperona!"

Gareki was currently standing stubbornly outside the frilly looking store, his face twisted into defiant determination. Yogi, on the other hand, was desperately pulling at the male's arm, begging him to go inside while Nai bounced on his feet, clearly excited but the predicament at hand seemed to be stressing him out some. "You're Nyanperona, you idiot!"

Yogi clasped his hand over Gareki's mouth, "Shhh! The children will hear you! Please just come in for Nai's sake?"

Gareki looked over at Nai, the niji was looking up at him with his big red eyes and he groaned. "Fine! But, I'm not staying long!"

With that, Nai's eyes lit up and he began to drag Gareki into the store, Yogi skipping after them. Gareki stood back, watching as Yogi and Nai shuffled through different items and kids around the store laughed and ran around. A couple kids were crying but the majority seemed genuinely happy and he scoffed. How could some make believe character make kids so happy? Hell, they didn't even know the man behind Nyanperona was right in the room with them! He just couldn't understand it.

"Gareki, come here!" Yogi sang out. Reluctantly, he walked over to the man, narrowing his eyes. "What?"

Yogi looked to the side at Nai, who was now skipping away to the other side of the store to look at something that had caught his eyes. When he was out of ear-shot, Yogi looked back at Gareki, holding out a Nyanperona plushie. "I want to get this for little Nai! What do you think?"

"Why the hell would I care?"

Yogi turned frantic and started on about how Gareki shouldn't swear in the store but the teen's attention was averted when he noticed Nai following a strange looking man in a simple suit. They were heading out of the store and Gareki turned back to Yogi, his demeanor urgent. "Yogi, shut up!"

"But, I-"

"It's Nai." He said nothing more, simply started to chase after the boy as fast as he could. They were now out of the store and the man was leading Nai down a side alley which Gareki couldn't see very well. He picked up the pace, not caring where Yogi was at the moment. He had a bad feeling about this. Why was Nai following this weirdo anyway? They were halfway down the alley when Gareki made it to the opening and called out, "Nai!"

The pair stopped and turned around slowly. The man's hand was on the niji's shoulder and the boy was trembling, obviously frightened by what was happening. What _was_ happening? Nai wasn't stupid enough to just follow strange people and he always ran when someone 'bad' was after him so why was he complying now? But, it didn't matter. What mattered was getting Nai away from this weirdo; he couldn't even see the man's face! Long, ashen mocha hair and tall... that's all he could make out properly with the shadows. "Let him go! What do you want with Nai?"

The man said nothing, he seemed to be looking beyond Gareki and that's when he realized that Yogi was now behind him, his rapiers out and ready. "Are you with Kafka?" the older man asked. His demeanor was serious now, he was clearly not messing around.

The strange man laughed, kneeling down to Nai's level and whispered something in his ear to which Nai nodded shakily, backing away and standing against the brick walls of the alley. Then, without warning, the man rushed at Gareki and Yogi, the man shoved the younger boy aside with ease, throwing him against the wall. He coughed from the impact, he could feel blood trickling down his cheek from where the brick had scraped his face but other than that he felt alright, just a little stunned.

"Gareki!" Nai called out desperately. He turned his attention back to the boy, standing near the wall and shaking. "Run, you idiot!"

The boy began to cry, shaking his head furiously. "I can't! He sad if I run, he'll kill you!"

Gareki shook his head, "To hell with that, just run!" But then he saw Nai's gaze shift over to Yogi, who was being held up in the air by the collar of his shirt. The man then tossed Yogi aside and he slumped down to the ground, clearly unconscious. He looked back at the man who was now making his way back over to Nai. "Nai! Run, Nai!" He made a move to get up, but before he could get very far, he felt a hard blow to the side of his head and then nothing. He was gone.

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Okay so yeah

Reviews welcome; no flames

Also, a thank you to those who have already reviewed (StrayDogHowling028 and )


	8. Chapter 8

Alright so, this is a short chapter because my Internet has been out since Monday night;

I have to call tomorrow to get that all sorted out but for now this should suffice

I'm already working on the next chapter and it should be much longer than this

For now, I don't own Karneval nor do I profit from this story

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-Same day; late at night-

Gareki was watching Fade pace back and fourth in front of the door to the hospital room he had awoken in. He was angry, that much was clear. Fade had never been one for authority so he was pissed off that both of them had had their weapons taken and he was pissed off that the result of that had been Nai getting taken by Kafka (though, secretly, Gareki didn't think the weapons would make a difference, that man had taken out Yogi with ease). But, it wasn't as though he wasn't angry himself. Maybe if he hadn't broken his stupid leg, if he hadn't been so helpless, he could have gotten Nai to safety.. he could have..

There was a light knock on the door, snapping Gareki out of his thoughts and causing Fade to stop moving, watching as Yogi slumped into the room. It wasn't his usual child-like sulk and he looked tired with heavy bags under his eyes. Of course Gareki felt guilty but Yogi... his whole mission was to protect him and Nai. Gareki had nearly died and now Nai had been captured; despite how useless Gareki felt, Yogi was trained for this and he had failed. They all had.

"How long have you been awake?" Yogi asked tentatively.

"For about an hour. I'm fine, Yogi, I-"

"This is all my fault. I've failed you twice and now I've failed little Nai. We have to get him back, Gareki!" Yogi was at Gareki's bedside, on his knees in a position like he was begging for forgiveness.

For a moment, he said nothing, simply clenching his jaw. What could he do? He was absolutely useless with his leg.. "You say that as if I can do anything about it."

The older man looked up at him, then over at Fade, who was leaning against the wall across the room, his arms crossed. He averted his gaze back to Gareki, as if shocked by his words. "D-don't you want to get Nai back..?"

"Of course I do!" he shouted angrily. "If you hadn't noticed my leg is still broken, it's not like I can go with you even if I wanted to!"

Yogi pressed his lips together, his eyes glinting as if he had an idea. He bounced up from his crouched position, prancing out of the room in a rush after shouting, "I'll be right back!"

After the door shut behind the blonde, Gareki looked over at Fade who was shaking his head. "What the hell was that about?"

The younger boy shrugged, "Hell if I know." He paused, a thought crossing his mind but he was careful to think about how to ask. None of this was Fade's battle after all... "Hey, Fade? When they go after Nai.. would you go in my place?" There was a long silence after the question and he couldn't say that he was shocked by it. The older teen, though loyal, could also be very cold and calculating; he weighed all of his options before jumping into something. Very rarely was he impulsive, though it did happen occasionally.

"Yeah, I'll go." Right as he spoke, the door opened and in walked an extremely annoyed looking Akari, the usual amused Hirato and a nervous looking Yogi. Fade nodded at Gareki, taking this as his cue to leave; the younger boy watched Fade push himself off the wall and exit the room, leaving him alone with the three men, none of which liked each other. Except Yogi and Hirato , also the ship's captain seemed indifferent to Akari but that didn't ease any of the tension in the room.

It was Gareki who broke the silence. "What's this all about?"

No one said anything at first. Yogi had made his way over to the furthest side of the bed - at the opposite side of the room from Akari and Hirato stood at the foot of the bed. Meanwhile, Akari stayed by the door, his eyes closed in frustration and anger. The man really did hate being anywhere near Hirato, that much was clear.

"Well, go on Akari. Tell the boy," Hirato said softly.

The doctor shot the captain a murderous glare, "Don't say it as if it was my idea we didn't do it in the first place," he snapped.

The teenager looked between the two men, his face contorted in confusion. "Do what?"

"In light of the new situation, we've decided it would be in your best interest to go ahead and treat your leg with our unique focused-healing machines," Doctor Akari said matter-of-factly, as if he hoped the bluntness of his answer would calm the boy.

"What the hell are focused-healing machines?" He tried to keep the anger out of his voice but whatever they were, he had a feeling they could have saved him from a lot of unnecessary suffering.

Akari took a deep breath, glancing over at Hirato before he spoke, "They assist in healing various wounds, they speed the process up considerably and with the progress your leg has already made, you'll be walking by tomorrow."

"You mean to tell me this whole time I could have been healed and all of this could have been avoided?" he shouted. The anger was bubbling inside his chest; of course Circus had such technology! How could he have been so ignorant? "Why the hell did you keep this from me?!"

"I believe the responsibility falls upon me, Gareki," Hirato stated. "After your injuries, we agreed it was becoming increasingly dangerous for you and while we can't just tell you to stay on the ship - as you would never agree - I decided it wouldn't be a bad thing for you to ride out the healing process. However, given the circumstances, I don't think it's fair to keep you from helping your friend. You do want to help Nai, don't you?"

He wasn't an idiot, he knew exactly what Hirato was doing with that last question. Unfortunately, it was a good tactic because right now wasn't the time to be angry or chew anyone out. Hirato was right, they needed to save Nai and he couldn't do that if he proved to be too difficult and they changed their minds about healing him. So he bit his tongue and nodded. "Just heal my leg."

Hirato smiled slyly, "Very good then. We will launch our attack on Kafka tomorrow, we traced Nai to the Misty Mansion. I expect you to be ready, Gareki." The captain then walked out of the room, leaving him alone with Yogi and Akari. The blonde looked even more frightened now but Gareki ignored this. He tossed the blankets off of himself then reached for the crutches leaning against the wall next to the bed. He hobbled over to Akari, glancing up at the older man.

"Ready, Gareki?"

"Let's get this over with."

The two then walked out of the room, Akari leading him to the room with the special machines, leaving a very guilty Yogi standing in the corner of the empty room.

-With Fade and Yogi - same night-

Yogi slumped out of the room, his head hanging low. He felt guilty for Gareki nearly dying, he felt guilty for the boy being knocked unconscious earlier, he felt guilty for Nai's capture and now he felt guilty for keeping the accelerated healing a secret from the teenager. Would Gareki be mad at him? He had no way of knowing right now, but he really hoped not. The teenager already hated him enough... didn't he?

"You better snap out of whatever slump you're in right now. It won't do Nai any good to be so down on yourself."

Yogi looked up, seeing Fade standing at the other side of the hallway. He didn't particularly like the kid but he did want to ask him a few questions so he took a deep breath, biting onto his lip. "Guess you're right.. Can you tell me something?"

The boy scoffed, crossing his arms in front of him. Something about the boy's amber eyes intimidated Yogi; they were the eyes of someone who had seen more than anyone his age should, the eyes of someone who would do whatever it takes to get what they want. He couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing with this kid and that unsettled him. Sometimes he forgot how young Gareki was and while Fade was nearly an adult, he was also still a kid - they both were. And even though he sometimes forgot Gareki was only fifteen, there were also instances where he was reminded of the boy's youth. This new boy, however, nothing about him reminded him of a child. He carried himself like a man and he talked and acted like a man. He wondered what this boy had been through to make him this way but that wasn't what he was planning on asking. He had a feeling he wouldn't get an answer even if he did ask though.

"How did you and Gareki meet?"

Fade cocked an eyebrow at the question, reaching his arm up and pushing his brunette hair back. "He saved my ass. Why don't you ask him about it?" He shoved his hands into the pockets of his olive coat then proceeded to walk away, his steps soon fading the further he walked.

Yogi slouched against the wall, feeling defeated. "They both hate me.."

-With Gareki - the next day-

They were all gathered in the briefing room; Gareki, Fade, Tsukumo, Yogi, even combatants from the 1st ship were present. The two non-circus members had been granted permission to use their weapons given the danger they were all walking into. Hirato had graciously agreed that sending them in unarmed would be absolutely barbaric - after listening to Fade ramble on about potential death. While Gareki was glad to be armed once again with his gun, he was happier just being able to be here. His leg felt as good as new and Akari had even used the machine on his previously broken arm to where he no longer needed the brace. He was still plenty pissed off about the whole thing but he kept that bottled up, at least until Nai was safe back on the ship.

"Alright, we all know why we are here. Yesterday Nai was kidnapped by a member of Kafka and we believe his location is within the Misty Mansion. Our mission is simple: we must retrieve Nai at any costs but I also want you to obtain any information you can to criminalize Kafka. This is the opportunity we've been looking for but I also caution you. We are not so naive to think that they won't be expecting us so be on your guard. We will be arriving shortly so begin necessary preparations," Hirato spoke calmly to everyone before he turned his attention elsewhere. "Gareki, Fade, Yogi. I wish to see you all privately, follow me."

The three nodded and followed after Hirato, who led them to his own office - which was becoming quite familiar to all of them. He took a seat and gestured for them to take a seat as well, to which they complied.

"What's this about?" Gareki asked.

"I want the three of you to stick together today, am I clear?"

No one said anything but the three stole glances at one another, as if questioning why they needed to be told this. "Gareki, when you were first injured, Yogi brought it to my attention that you are, in fact, very skilled and quite useful. However, you're only as good as the gun you carry and against the Varuga... well, yours is quite useless." Hirato smiled as he watched the younger boy clench his jaw in anger, surely he was still angry with his discovery yesterday and now he was having his abilities belittled; it was a reaction he expected. "I did think about the request Yogi presented me with and came to the conclusion that perhaps he is right. So," the man paused, reaching into his coat pocket and pulled out a small silver box, which he leaned over and handed to Gareki before he continued, "I had these made for you."

Puzzled, he opened up the box to find six silver bullets, he picked one up, holding it up to see a type of rainbow finish glinting in the light. "What's so special about them?"

"Why, they were developed especially for you - to allow you to kill Varuga."

Gareki placed the bullet back in the box, looking up at Hirato, brows furrowed. "This was Yogi's idea?"

Yogi cleared his throat, looking anxious. "Well, after we found you with the second Varuga, I noticed there were several bullet holes in it's body and I realized that maybe you would have been alright if your weapon was effective. Maybe you wouldn't have gotten so injured.."

His mouth hung open slightly. It had always occurred to him that Yogi saw him as a weak civilian; it never even crossed his mind that the combatant saw him as capable with his weapon being his handicap. For months, he had been angry at the older man for making him feel so incompetent but he had just felt guilty. Guilty for not protecting him but guilty as well for having to go along with leaving him unarmed. He wanted Gareki to be able to protect himself as much as he was supposed to. And here, without Gareki's knowledge, Yogi had been working to convince the ship's captain that the boy needed a weapon - a capable one. And, he'd shut the man out way more harshly than he usually would. Wow, he felt like an ass.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fade lean back against the cushions, clearly trying to hide an amused smile with his hand and he made a mental note to punch the boy later on. Fade could easily read the expression on Gareki's face to know when the boy realized he had messed up. He knew it was a vital skill, but it was also annoying: the thief was way too observant.

Gareki bit his lip and swallowed his pride, mumbling, "Thanks."

Yogi beamed; it wasn't the ecstatic reaction he had been hoping for, but from Gareki, it was something. He just hoped the boy could see that Yogi really did care.

Hirato cleared his throat to divert the attention back on the task at hand. "Right. Let's discuss the jobs I'm giving to you. I expect a lot out of you three so pay attention..."

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Sorry for the weird cliffhanger

I just had to get something up since I have Internet at the moment - I know this chapter left more questions than answers  
Sorry

Expect update: 12/1/14


	9. Chapter 9

Okay, wow, I'm a fucking piece of shit.

Sorry I haven't updated or even been on at all, I apologize.

I've been on a major Assassin's Creed kick and I don't see it ending any time soon so I needed to get something up for you guys.

Sorry if it's a pile of trash, I don't know.

Anyway, I don't own nor profit; just enjoy

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Two pairs of footsteps were pounding through the narrow halls of the large estate. Fade and Gareki were running towards the main control room; they had lost Yogi minutes ago but pressed on anyway. Both boys clutched their weapons tightly, their breaths coming in quick bursts as they hurried down the corridor. They knew it wouldn't be long until someone was upon them so their goal was to make it to the surveillance room before that became a problem.

Suddenly, Fade reared up behind Gareki and stopped, looking back in the direction that they had come. Gareki stopped as well, looking back at the older boy questioningly. "Fade, what are you doing?" he hissed, but the teenager hushed him.

"Nothing, just keep moving."

But, right as he said it, the older boy lunged at Gareki, tackling the younger boy to the ground. He shouted out in shock, anger rising in his chest for the sudden attack but then he realized they had just been shot at when his brain finally registered the loud bang of a gun. He turned his head and in one motion, whipped his arm around, squeezing the trigger and watched as the bullet slammed into the gun of the security guard holding it, knocking it from his grip. Shocked, the guard cried out, grabbing his hand as if it had been what was actually hit by the bullet. The boys took this as their opportunity and they scrambled to their feet, quickly making their way down the rest of the corridor and turning the corner right as the guard had come back to his senses and began his pursuit again. The room they were aiming for was at the end of this hall and they were halfway there when the guard rounded the corner. Fade turned around, slipping a smaller knife out of his sleeve and threw it toward the man, the blade digging into the soft flesh of the man's thigh. After a scream of pain, the guard fell, leaving the rest of the way free and clear.

As soon as they were inside the room, however, there were two more guards inside but they had been expecting it. Each boy took a man for them self, using their knowledge of hand-to-hand to quickly take the two men down. Fade proceeded to lock the door behind them, taking out a long wound up rope from inside his jacket. "Gareki, hack the system, I'll tie these two up in case they awaken." The younger boy nodded, making his way over to complex computer system as Fade went to work expertly tying the two guards up. Fade was finished with his task before Gareki and he stood beside the boy, watching him work on hacking into the surveillance.

"Do you see where they're holding Nai?"

Gareki shook his head, "Just give me another minute and I should have it pulled up, then I'll relay it back to the ship where they can view it and download the rest of Kafka's files. Watch the door, we'd have to be idiots to think they don't have keys."

Fade nodded and pulled out his favourite non-throwing knife: his matte black tanto blade. It was best used for close combat and if anyone came through that door: they'd regret it. As he watched the door, he could hear Gareki's keyboard strokes and button pressing and he began to wonder how the boy had become so amazing with this sort of thing; he really was a special kid and Circus had been smart to bring him along.

They also had to consider how they were going to find Yogi. Depending on where Nai was being kept, it was unlikely the teenagers could make it there on their own with all the guards and Varuga running around. The two were experts with covert operations but they normally had time to plan and map out escape routes and do some recon work but here they were blind and as much as both of them hated to admit it, Yogi was necessary. Hirato had told the three of them to stay together and they couldn't even do that! The plan had been to go in upfront, Yogi would escort the two boys, who were supposed to claim they were there to visit an old friend that was staying at the Misty Mansion. Gareki then broke through the guards, yelling that he was there to meet his friend, and Yogi and Fade proceeded to chase him, telling the guards they'd bring him right back. They hadn't found it odd when the guards didn't bother to chase them, it just proved to them that they had been expecting them. This information had given Hirato what he needed to proceed, which plan to initiate. It was then their mission to make their way to the control room and disarm the security, search the cameras to find Nai, and download Kafka's files to the Circus ship. Along the way, however, they had been separated from Yogi when a Varuga had attacked them, nearly taking Fade's head off by throwing some heavy piece of furniture. Yogi had stayed behind to fight the former person while Fade and Gareki continued on. It was a haphazard and messy plan but it was all they had. Brute force was the route they needed to take since surprise wasn't an option. Fade could only wonder though: why would they initiate an attack? It was his understanding that they wanted Nai from the beginning but they had expected more resistance. Just what was Kafka up to?

"Fade, I need your help." The older boy turned his attention away from the door and saw Gareki was staring at the screen of a temporary phone he had been given just for this specific mission. He approached the younger teen and rolled his eyes when he saw that he had a map of the inner workings of the mansion. He couldn't even say he was surprised.

"Are we done here?"

"Yes, I just received confirmation that the files are downloading. I also put a block to make it near impossible for them to stop the file transfer. I also found Nai."

The brunette nodded, looking up at the ceiling and smirking when he spotted what he was looking for. "Still, we should keep the door locked. Ready to navigate the vents?"

-With Yogi-

"Ah, where did those two run off to?!"

He had already made his way to the security room and realized that the boys had since moved on from the area. He was tempted to call the phone Hirato had given Gareki but he was afraid the ring might compromise their position. Granted, the phone should have been on silent but he couldn't be sure, after all. So he took the next logical course of action.

"Hirato, there's a tracker on Gareki's phone, right?"

He heard a sigh from the other line, "You lost the boys, didn't you?"

"N-no! We were attacked by a Varuga so I told them to go ahead of me!" The accusation was offensive and he desperately tried to defend his actions; he would not fail them this time.

"The information is being downloaded as we speak so their mission is complete. I'm assuming they're headed to where Nai is being kept. Gareki sent me a map of the mansion and marked his whereabouts. I suggest you head there yourself, I'll send it to you."

The line then went dead and Yogi stopped running, waiting until the information went through. A new file was received in seconds and he opened up the program to see a blinking red light that looked to be on the top floor on the other side of the building. Yogi cursed and began to run as fast as he could; there was no telling who or what was guarding Nai and that could mean trouble for Fade and Gareki.

-With Gareki-

"It's all clear."

Fade dropped down from the vents and landed in a crouched position to take the pressure of the fall off of his joints. He stood up and looked up and down the hall, listening for any indication that the conditions had changed. He then looked up at the vent and motioned for Gareki to come down. The boy obliged and landed quietly on his feet, pulling out his gun as he stood back upright. Glancing down at his phone, he pointed down the hall, keeping his voice quiet. "There's a staircase at the end of the hall, I'll go ahead and scope it."

Gareki hurriedly shuffled along the wall, holding his gun up with his finger held near the trigger, but not on it. He looked back to see Fade standing with his back to him, no doubt watching the hall from the other end just in case. It was an odd feeling, but part of him missed this. Not necessarily the thieving aspect but he missed the feeling of being trusted and relied upon. Fade was two years his senior and much more experienced than he was but they both did their own share of the work. Neither of them had ever doubted each other's abilities and that's what Gareki missed. He missed being seen as capable and he hated being treated as a civilian... a child civilian at that. Circus could call him what they liked but the fact remained that no normal civilian could do what he could do. He was also never treated as some naive child by Fade; but he supposed he had never given Fade a reason to doubt him. He had, after all, saved Fade's life when they first met and that created a lack of reason to ever think Gareki wasn't capable. He remembered it like it was yesterday..

-Flashback-

_Splash! Splash!_

_Gareki hated the sound of his shoes sloshing in the left over puddles from that day's earlier rain. It drew attention to him, made him feel more exposed. He supposed it didn't really matter, he wasn't yet within range of his target so why should he care? He just liked to move quietly and he hoped that by the time night fell, the wetness would evaporate. That was unlikely though, seeing as it was already nearly dusk. He sighed and turned down a side alley that was clear of people. The alley led to a dead end but at the end was a fire escape leading up to the top of the buildings and he walked toward it, careful to make as little noise as possible. Opening up his jacket, he made sure his gun was secure before zipping the hoodie back up and reaching for the closest bars of the fire escape. He jumped up to grab the bar and pulled himself up with little difficulty, stopping for just a moment to look around. There weren't many people to begin with and no one was even bothering a glance down the alley so he proceeded to quietly climb the fire escape, thankful that most of the windows were shielded by blinds. No doubt people wouldn't be too thrilled to look outside and see some strange boy at their windows._

_Once he reached the topmost platform, he sighed, examining the building for proper hand and footholds. Once he mentally mapped it out, he grabbed onto the windowsill and began to pull himself up, scaling the wall and reaching for his next handhold. After only a minute or so, Gareki was sitting atop the building, looking around at his surroundings. He could see the target mansion in the distance and he was satisfied that he would be able to get there by running along the rooftops. He did find it rather strange. Most wealthy scum lived in the outskirts, not actually within the city but he supposed it really wasn't a proper mansion anyway. It was like one of those mansions that had been turned into a large apartment complex except it was still intact as a whole home. It would be a fairly easy target, that much he was sure of. _

_The top of this building wasn't nearly as wet as the ground below but he would still have to be careful not to slip. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his gloves specialized for jumping buildings and slipped them on. He then proceeded to stand up and stretched his body out, examining the distance between the rooftop he was on now to the one he was jumping to. The next building was shorter so he would have an easy time making it but he still wanted to be well prepared. Cracking his knuckles, he rolled his shoulders and crouched down slightly, backing away from the ledge. He then took a deep breath and broke into a sprint, launching himself over the edge of the building. He gasped at the feeling of weightlessness before he tucked his body into itself and rolled forward to break his fall as soon as his feet touched the roof of the shorter building. Immediately, he sprang up and ran toward the next roof top, making sure to really push himself off the ground as this building was slightly taller. He grasped onto the building ledge and pulled his body weight up, pausing to catch his breath. He continued this for several more rooftops, he was nearly halfway to his target and getting ready to jump to the next building when he heard someone grunting in what sounded like a fight._

_Curious, he walked to the edge and peaked over into the dark alley below. There were four figures in total and three of them appeared to be attacking the one. All of the attackers were wearing black or some variation of grey and the other figure seemed to be wearing what looked to be an olive green hoodie, their face shrouded in shadows. He knew nothing of the situation but watching, the figure in green seemed to be holding up pretty well but then he saw something in one of the darker corners that he hadn't seen prior. Another figure was moving within the shadows and Gareki immediately recognized the glint of metal in the dying light. It was clear the green clad figure was unaware of this fourth attacker; Gareki didn't even think about it, he just moved. Swiftly reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his gun and took aim, holding his breath as he could swear he could _feel_ the bullet sliding from the chamber. Time seemed to move slowly as he prayed his aim was true but the scream that tore from the figure's throat proved that he had been a little off. Oh, the person did drop their gun alright, but the bullet had grazed the figure's forearm rather than the gun that Gareki had been aiming for. He winced inwardly but shoved his gun back into his jacket, taking no time to watch the fight below pause at the sound of his gunshot. He quickly scaled down the building and dropped behind one of the attackers, hitting them behind the knees and ramming his elbow into their head once they dropped to their knees. The figure in green seemed to have things under control, as the three remaining attackers were now laying on the ground, unconscious._

_Gareki and the other person seemed to stare at each other for a few minutes, as if sizing each other up. At this point, he could sort of see beyond the figure's hood and realized that it was a teenage boy, not much older than himself. After several minutes, the boy spoke, keeping his voice low. "I didn't even see him... I would have been dead if not for you." His voice was devoid of emotion, straight forward and to the point but Gareki knew it was a 'thank you'. _

_"Yeah, but we gotta get out of here. S'not safe." His mission was forgotten about, he could rob the mansion any day he wanted but right now, he knew that gunshot was sure to bring someone running to check it out. They couldn't risk standing there any longer and Gareki also wanted to know what the hell he had stumbled upon. _

_The boy nodded, beginning to walk towards the opening of the alley. "Come on, I know a place we can hide. What should I call you?"_

_He hesitated for only a moment before he realized it wouldn't matter if this boy knew it or not, "Gareki. And you?"_

_"Fade. Now let's go before the cops show up." Unsure of why, Gareki then followed the kid, with no idea what could possibly lie ahead._

-End Flashback-

Reaching the end of the hall, he leaned against the wall corner and poked his head around, scanning the hall for any signs of movement. When he saw none, he whistled once, signally to Fade that it was clear. The older boy was at his side and they both proceeded to the staircase, heeding caution with each level they ascended.

_I'm coming, Nai. Just hold on._

* * *

Again, it was short, I'm sorry.

But, I'm still going with it, I swear. Be patience with me


End file.
